The Good Dog
by AbsentAngel
Summary: Yusuke got himself into some pretty weird situations, but calling a miko that traveled five hundred years into the past "Master"? That won the gold prize. Being turned into a dog? That definitely took a close silver. Yus/Kag
1. A Dog

_"He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.) When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever - in case I need him. And I expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog."_

_- Gene Hill_

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<br>The Good Dog  
>Chapter #1<br>(:)(A)(:)**

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><p>Yusuke managed to get himself into some pretty weird situations. There was that whole dying and coming back to life gig. Didn't think he'd ever be able top that one. How many people have a blue haired reaper girl retrieve you - riding an oar like it was the most natural thing in the world? To be honest, seeing her pop out of nowhere on that thing still made head spin every now and then. So throw in a couple demon tournaments and a demon ancestor after that and you get one crazy fucked up life.<p>

Yet, somehow, being chased by animal patrol on all fours took the cake.

Yeah . . . it was gonna be pretty hard to live this one down. But really, how was he suppose to know that crazy old bitch had that kind of power? More importantly, why the hell didn't that stupid toddler say anything! A simple, _'By the way Yusuke, this chick can change you into a **fucking dog**' _would have been pretty damn helpful!

Fucking Koenma. Next time he saw the child ruler he was going to beat the shit out of him - whether he was still furry or not! Only his idiot of a boss would send him alone on a mission like this. Yusuke could handle spirit energy, but this . . . _this_ was something else. _This _shouldn't even be possible.

And now here he was - a dog - with no one but the puppy police looking for for his newly canine self.

He could practically hear the loud, irritating guffaws that Kuwabara liked to call laughter bouncing around in his skull. Underneath the idiot's laughter Kurama would ponder how he managed to get himself into such a situation and Hiei would state that he would never let himself be chased down by a human, canine or not.

His, strangely padded, feet skid to a halt, the snow patched asphalt sliding him forward a few extra feet. But Yusuke was too busy rolling his eyes to care. Why the hell **_was _**he running? God help him if any of them found out about this, but him biting someone in the ass would be less shameful than running from a human with a collar on a stick.

Lucky for him, he turned to face his chaser just in time to watch the fat ass dognapper eat it as he came around the corner. It was so perfect he couldn't help but laugh - er, well bark. God damn if he wasn't already missing his vocal chords. As soon as he found the stupid bitch that did this he was going to latch onto her throat.

He planted his feet as best he could, feeling his nails digging into the ice and the strange sensation of the black hairs along his back rising as the growl rumbled in his throat. The animal patrol officer struggled to get up, slipping a second time before finally managing to get onto his feet. Yusuke couldn't help but feel satisfied by the way the man paled, pushing his round glasses up his nose in what the spirit detective could already tell was a nervous gesture.

"Now now there boy, just calm down. We're going to take this nice and easy . . ."

Nice and easy his ass, dognapper was going down.

Taking in a lung full of air he barked, making the man jump. His already unstable footing trembled and Yusuke watched in proud satisfaction as the county employee waved his arms and struggled for balance. Yusuke took the opportunity to rush him, slamming his body into the man's legs and forcing him to fall flat on his face in a puddle of muddy snow. HA! Who says you need fists to kick some ass?

Before the officer had the chance to get up Yusuke bolted, back feet skidding on the ice as he rounded a turn. Ok, time to think. He couldn't go to Kuwabara's, that dumb ass would never be able to look past his now canine exterior. Hiei would be good with that whole mind reading thing but there was no way to find him. Ok, Kurama it was then.

Seeing the entrance to the subway he made a sharp turn, cutting a couple people off in the process. Sorry folks, manners weren't on his priority list this evening. Bolting through the crowds he finally made it to the loading dock. Panting, he checked the routes only to find that several of the color coordinated routes were blending together. He stood there, blinking in confusion before an irritated growl rumbled in his throat. This had to be a joke. Some really bad cosmic joke. Colorblind? Really? Wasn't it bad enough that he was turned into a fucking _dog_! Bitch had to make things politically correct and give him dog vision too!

Stubbornly he stared closer at it, ignoring the looks he was getting from the people around him. Ok, not so bad. There were slight variations . . . and it looked like the blue route remained unchanged in his new vision. If he could just find Kurama's stop . . .

The sound of her loafers alerted him of her presence first, the (surprisingly strong) smell of vanilla hit him next. He tried to ignore her and keep looking at the map, though when she didn't move his curiosity won out. Glancing over, his eyes traveled from her knees and up.

She had a good figure, though he could probably appreciate it more from a higher eye level - or a shorter skirt. When his eyes reached her face he wasn't too surprised to see her staring at him or even that her face was actually as good looking as her body (a rare find nowadays if you asked him). She was cute, long dark hair, small button nose and all. But what really caught, and kept, his attention were her eyes.

_'Whoa, definitely not completely colorblind.' _They were a shade of blue that he could only call electric - though that could be helped by the fact that all other colors seemed to be washed out. Regardless, he was mesmerized. How did a japanese girl score eyes like that?

They stared at each other for what felt like an hour before she smiled and crouched down to his eye level, carefully keeping her skirt in place. "Are you lost?" She nodded her head towards the board, "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to read the map with how hard you were staring at it!"

Her words broke his trance and he huffed. If she didn't know better? Did she realize how crazy she must look talking to a dog right now? Though he had no complaints with her playing Dog Whisperer if it meant being talked to like a person again.

She slowly reached forward as he watched her carefully, ready to bolt at any suspicious movement. When her hand caressed his floppy black ear however, concentration was lost. _God, _no wonder dogs liked to be scratched behind the ears . . . it felt freaking fantastic! He heard a rhythmic thumping behind him and was mortified when he turned around and saw his long tail beating the pavers. The wagging immediately stopped and Yusuke felt the girl's hands lower to his neck.

If she noticed the way he stiffened she ignored it, murmuring under her breath. "Looks like you have a collar . . ."

He did?

She sighed, dropping one hand and using the other to scratch the top of his head. "But no tag." She shook her head, contemplating. "Maybe your owners got you chipped?"

Any other day he may have laughed. But it turns out the idea of being micro chipped like some kind of mutt isn't so funny when you're, well, a mutt.

She giggled, giving his head a final scratch. "Well -" She took a quick peak under his leg - deepening Yusuke's embarrassment even further, "boy, I'm not sure what to do with you."

What else was new? Yusuke didn't know what to do with himself either. This day just kept getting shitier and shitier.

"Yeah, the dog ran right over there!"

Yusuke turned around sharply, shoulders sagging in disbelief when he saw one of the pedestrians pointing right at him. The three dognappers suddenly coming toward him didn't exactly make his day either. A growl escaped his throat before he could stop it and he felt his hair rise on the back of his neck as he focused on the oncoming officers. He almost jumped when he felt the girl's hand lay gently on his head.

She winked at him with a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Don't worry boy, I'll take care of this."

Clasping her hands in front of her chest, Yusuke watched in amazement as her features changed when she turned around to face the officers. Suddenly her eyes were wide and watery, looking up at them like they were some kind of freaking heroes. "Oh, thank you so much for finding my dog! I have been looking for him all day!"

Her dog . . . really?

The animal control looked at each other in confusion, unsure what to do. "Uh ma'am are you sure that's your dog? He's awfully mean spirited . . ." said Dognapper #1, scratching the back of his balding head sheepishly.

The girl shook her head adamantly, "Oh no! He would never hurt anyone!" She looked them up and down and Yusuke saw her eyebrow raise challengingly even as her voice remained sugary sweet. "After all, he didn't bite any of you right?"

Startled, Yusuke looked up at her with a new appreciation. Girl actually had some brains in there.

They all looked each other, shrugging until Dognapper #3 (who Yusuke recognized as the fat ass he tripped earlier) pushed up his glasses. "W-well ma'am. Your dog showed some very aggressive behavior. I'm not sure if a girl like you can handle a big dog like this."

Sweetness gone, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "A girl like me huh? Well I'll have you know -" She leaned forward to look at his name badge, "Yuto. That I can handle myself just fine. And, quite frankly, I'm sure I'd probably show you some "aggressive behavior" if you came chasing after me with a stick too!"

Yusuke couldn't help the doggie smirk that spread across his face as Yuto fumbled with his glasses stuttering incoherently until Dognapper#2 stepped in. He looked between Yusuke and the girl suspiciously. "What did you say your dog's name was?"

"Oh, um," she looked down at Yusuke and he raised his eyebrows back. Was she really going to let his asshole throw her off with a name? Just pick one for crying out -

"Blackie!"

. . . She had to be joking.

She gave him what he thought looked like an apologizing look from the corner of her eye, but retained her bright smile. "His name is Blackie!"

She wasn't joking. God, fucking, damn it! Would a little originality kill her?

Dognapper#2 raised his eyebrows, obviously not buying it. "And how exactly did . . . Blackie escape?"

If she was nervous she didn't show it. "Well you see I let a friend take care of him while I took care of some errands and they accidentally left their door open." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "I never should have left my precious Blackie with her, she's just too irresponsible!"

"And you just happened to find him here . . . at the train station."

She nodded happily. "Yup, I was just about to give up looking and go home when my sweet Blackie found me!" She put a hand over her heart, eyes wide again. "But I thank you all so much for all the hard work you did!"

Baldy and Fat Ass blushed, mumbling 'you welcome's under their breath. Dognapper #2, which Yusuke was now renaming Douchebag, just rolled his eyes and tossed a cheap leash at her. "Whatever. Just put him on a leash and make sure he doesn't get out again!"

She gave a mock salute, "Yes sir, you can count on me!"

Douchebag just waved her off, ordering his coworkers to get moving. When they finally disappeared into the crowd the girl's shoulders sagged with a sigh. "Well, I guess that means you're going home with me tonight." She clicked the leash onto his collar before Yusuke had the chance to protest. "Mama's not going to like this . . ."

She started walking but Yusuke sat down and refused to move causing the leash to go taut and her to stumble back a step. No way in hell was he going to follow this girl around like some lost puppy. She glared down at him, her hands on her hips. "Now you listen here, I just went through a lot of trouble to save you from those jerks! The least you can do is be cooperative so I can help you find your real owners tomorrow."

Yusuke glared back at her defiantly before giving up with a sigh. Girl did have a point, if it weren't for her he might still be running from those pricks. She smiled when he sat up and closed the distance between them. "Thank you!" He rolled his eyes and walked with her in silence onto the waiting subway train, ignoring her surprised look when he actually hopped up on the seat next to her. Just because he looked like a dog didn't mean he was going to sacrifice his human rights god damn it.

They sat in silence, ignoring the looks from the other oncoming passengers, and remained that way for a few minutes after the train doors closed and the train accelerated. With the leash connecting them swaying between them, and the sound of wheels turning on the track underneath, the girl stared straight ahead as if lost in thought. That is, until she turned those piercing blue eyes on him again.

"My name is Kagome by the way."

Gee, that was just great. He was so worried about what to call her being that everything he tried to say **came out as a bark.**

She tilted her head, eyes lingering on his face thoughtfully. "I don't know what your real name is . . ."

He huffed, turning away from her in annoyance . So the stupid bitch that turned him into a dog didn't have the decency to put his name on his collar. Shocker.

Kagome let out a little laugh, shaking her head. "But I'm definitely not going to go around calling you _Blackie _of all things."

So the girl wasn't so cruel after all. If there was room for it, Yusuke would have collapsed in relief.

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

I should start off with saying that I've had this story on my mind for the past seven years but could never really get it started. Every opening scene I started writing didn't seem to sit well and I just grew frustrated. Then we got Benni - my hundred pound, dopey black lab that I simply love to pieces. Lets just say nothing can inspire a story about a dog, quite like a dog.

This story will be a little more on the drabble side compared to my other stories - and definitely less dramatic than Every Rose Has Its Thorn and Every Night Has Its Dawn. I'm looking forward to writing something lighter and more fun, and excited to see where this story takes me. It could end up being ten chapters, it could end up being thirty. We're just going to see it where it takes us. =)

Thank you to everyone reading! And to any of those coming over from EVND, I hope you enjoy this new adventure!


	2. A Girl

_"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts."  
>- John Steinbeck<em>

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

**The Good Dog**

**Chapter 2**

**(:)(A)(:)**

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><p>Kagome didn't know what it was that compelled her to help him, only that she couldn't just stand by and watch him get taken away by animal control. Something about that dog was . . . oh, she didn't even know how to describe it. Odd, maybe? It still didn't completely fit, but it was the closest she could think of. When she saw him at the station she felt herself drawn to him, like the pull she would feel in her chest when she felt a shard but . . . different.<p>

Of course that was probably in _no _way related to the fact that she had a soft spot for animals. Or that he just looked so lost sitting there in front of the subway schedule . . .

No, not at all.

She sighed, the cheap dog leash tangled in her fingers. Sometimes she wished that little thing called compassion would just turn off - it was getting her into way too much trouble lately. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, not completely surprised to find him looking back at her. When she didn't tear her gaze away she would have sworn he rose his eyebrows as if to say '_what?_'. She shook her head and directed her eyes at the empty seat across from her instead.

What an _odd _dog.

Mama was _not _going to be happy about this, Kagome just knew it. But she couldn't have possibly left him there, especially since he had a collar on and was obviously well taken care of. His black coat was sleek and surprisingly soft for a dog, shiny even. He was strongly built, carrying proud shoulders and well defined muscles in his haunches. He held his masculine head proudly, the tips of his floppy ears just reaching his powerful jaws. Really, with her (admittedly limited) dog knowledge she would have guessed he was a lab . . . if he was shorter and stockier. Instead his limbs were long and his body was lean. Overall he was just - well, big.

Really big.

She had no doubt that on his hind legs he would stand taller than her, probably by a few good inches. Shoot, him sitting on the seat next to her brought him to eye level. With the lean, but plentiful, muscle that rippled along his body she was sure he weighed over a hundred - hell she wouldn't be surprised if he outweighed _her_.

A good looking dog like that, with an expensive leather collar like that, had an owner. And, no offense to animal control, but she didn't exactly trust them to give it their best at finding his home. Especially with the murderous way they were looking at him. Considering they all looked like they had picked a fight with a mud puddle and lost, she could guess that their anger wasn't completely undeserved. Still . . . her instincts told her not to let them have him. And you were suppose to follow your instincts.

Right?

She groaned, leaning her head back against the subway window. "Mama's going to kill me. You know that?" She turned to the dog, who was eyeing her as if she were crazy. Considering how much intelligence she saw in those brown eyes, maybe she was. "I don't even have enough time for my studies, let alone take care of a dog."

She would have sworn that dog rolled his eyes at her before turning away from her - as if uninterested in her, very real, dilemma.

Blinking, she watched him for a moment before shaking her head to clear it. "I just . . . I really hope I can find your owners quickly." She reached over to scratch behind his ear, smiling softly when his tail began to thump against the seat. When she withdrew her hand he stared at his tail like it was some kind of traitor. She couldn't help but giggle, "You know, as weird as you are, you really are quite cute."

He gave a short, low, rumbling growl that sounded more like a grumble to her ears before turning his full attention to the window opposite of them. Obviously trying his best to ignore her altogether.

She felt the shift in speed and instinctually knew they were approaching the last stop before her own. Inwardly she gave a little sigh of relief that she was almost home. Spending the day with her friends had been . . . well, to say it was nice would be lying. Between Yuka hassling her about her "no good boyfriend" and Eri (while supporting Yuka) trying to keep her up to date with all the boys that were still single, there wasn't much room for 'nice'. Thank goodness for Ayumi, she was the only one who supported her relationship.

Well, what they _thought _was a relationship.

That irritating fact made their nosey comments hurt all the more. Because that two timing jerk wasn't someone she was dating, he was someone she _wanted _to date. And to hear them talk as if they were together, thinking they were together, it just added salt to he wound. Lots and lots of salt that she was, quite frankly, sick of. Because it wasn't bad enough that Inuyasha cut her heart to pieces every time she went to his time, oh no. Lets dump some nice, pretty handfuls of salt on it as a welcome home present!

Stupid salt. Stupid Inuyasha.

So she was bitter, she had no problem admitting it. After all, what girl in her situation wouldn't? She gave, and gave, and gave; and for what? She couldn't even drag a thank you from her beloved hanyou!

Perhaps, though, that wasn't completely fair . . . Kagome knew more than any one that Inuyasha and words were two things that simply didn't mix. Inuyasha spoke in actions; a language she could read well enough after two years of traveling together. Still, in words or actions, Kagome never heard or saw any form of appreciation from him. Nothing, zilch, nada.

Kagome found that there were two types of people in this world as far as relationships went; there were the givers and there were the takers. She was a giver and Inuyasha was, obviously, a taker. She would give him everything and he would take it all without ever stopping to consider giving anything back. There were no trades in their relationship, only one sided gifts. Which, truly, would have been fine. Kagome was the girl that looked forward to the holiday season, not because she wanted to see what sat under the tree for her, but to see the expressions on her friend's and family's faces when they opened her gift to them. She loved that warm feeling that spread across her chest and settled into her heart when she knew she was the one to bring happiness to someone else. It was simply who she was; she was a giver. To receive, well . . . honestly, it felt awkward.

Which is why, in the beginning, she didn't expect anything back from Inuyasha - didn't want it even. But as time went by that warm, good feeling in her chest began to cool and tighten into something she didn't recognize at first. It took Sango's appreciative, _"you didn't have to"_ one day for Kagome to understand that the chill she felt was disappointment. Somewhere along the way, bringing back Ramen for him wasn't celebrated so much as expected - her standing by his side was no longer a promise to a friend but an _obligation_.

Inuyasha took what she gave, not because it was offered but because he expected it to be given.

The realization should have made her angry. It should have made her want to leave his side and give up on him. It didn't, but some days - most days - she really wished it did. Hating him would be so much easier than loving him, she knew that. But if there was one thing Kagome gave too much of, too freely even, it was love. And somehow, she couldn't even bring herself to take it back.

Now, with the final battle with Naraku fast approaching, Kagome couldn't help but think about the future. After they defeated him - because they _would _defeat him - what would she do with her life? Once upon a time she thought that she would stay in the feudal era with the second family she and Inuyasha created. But now . . .

Now she didn't know what she was going to do.

Dimly, her mind registered the sound of the subway doors closing and felt the gradual increase of speed as their subway car made its way down the tracks. She let out a sigh and returned her attention the the dog next to her, almost surprised to see him watching her. She smiled, though it felt tired an half hearted, "Almost home boy. Just this next stop and a ten minute walk and we'll be there."

The dog huffed, indifferent.

Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes before rubbing her temples with a bitter laugh, "Why do I keep getting myself stuck with sulky, unappreciative dogs?" She sent one of said dogs a glare, "What happened to man's best friend? My cat is more friendly than you are."

Brown eyes blinked as he stared at her, and Kagome instantly felt heat rise to her cheeks. She dropped her face in her hands, embarrassed by her outburst - even if it was (thankfully) only in front of a dog, "I'm sorry. It's . . . just been a long day is all." _It's been a long two years_. She shook her head, refusing to spend another moment thinking about Inuyasha - it obviously brought out the worst in her. Here she was, scolding a dog for not being the happy go lucky creature he was said to be after he had lost his master, been chased by animal control for who knows how long, and was now being taken by a girl he didn't know to some strange new place.

She couldn't help feeling a little hurt when he watched her hand warily as she reached to pet his head. He couldn't have possibly understood what she said, but she suspected that her tone got the message across all too clear. Her hand slowly dropped before she reached him, resting in her lap, "I promise I'll find you a home, even if I can't find your owners." She squared her shoulders, determination shining in her eyes as it filled her heart. Scooting over so she fully faced her canine companion, she looked him straight in the eye as if he were any other person. He leaned away from her ever so slightly, watching her with a confused, but wary, expression, "All I ask is that you at least _try _to make my life easier and behave". When Kagome held out her hand, letting it hover between them, he stared at the appendage like it was some kind of foreign object before his eyes lifted back up to hers with a look that clearly said 'you're crazy'.

Kagome ignored it. Grabbing his right paw and placing it her her right hand before giving it a decisive two shakes, "So it's a deal then!" She gave him a bright smile, when he tentatively took his paw back. He was still looking at her strangely, and still seemed way to expressive for a normal dog, but she liked to think that maybe there was some respect reflecting in those deep brown eyes as well.

The subway slowed to a halt and Kagome watched as the doors whooshed open. With a renewed sense of purpose and the return of warmth in her chest she stood up and looked down at her companion. "Here we are! Are you ready?" The look on his face said he wasn't. Still, with an irritated groan he left his seat and went to her side before looking up at her impatiently.

She couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face or the bounce in her step as they walked through the train doors. "Let's go home." Between them the green leash swayed innocently - a connecting force linking them to the same path.

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

So as you can see, the chapters will be alternating between Yusuke and Kagome. Originally it was going to be all Yusuke's POV but I quickly realized the need for Kagome's thoughts and feelings. So next chapter we'll be checking back with our favorite spirit detective. =)

Also, for anyone who even remotely cares, I changed the quote that started off the first chapter. The new one I found is, well, epic and it just fit the story as a whole. I just _had _to use it to begin the story. From now on the quotes will be shorter and, in some way, relate to the chapter. After posting the first chapter I went on a dog quote rampage and now have approximately three pages worth so there will be no fear of running out! Lol!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

EDIT: I have no idea why, but ffnet is deleting spaces after any italicized words. Please bear with me as I try to correct it.


	3. The King

_A dog is not "almost human" and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such. -John Holmes_

**(:)(A)(:)  
>The Good Dog<br>Chapter #3  
>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

Yusuke was, officially, in Hell. It was the only way he'd be forced to go through this much humiliation.

The girl - Kagome - was all right in his book. Sure she still looked crazy when she continued to talk to him on the train, but at least if she was going to look crazy talking to a dog she talked normally. Though, really, he'd take being talked to like a freaking third class citizen over this baby talking crap her mother was doing.

The face smooshing thing could probably stop too.

"Oh what a _cute _boy you are! Just look at these soft ears and beautiful eyes!" Mrs. Higurashi looked up at her daughter, hands pausing in their assault, "But as precious as you are I'm pretty sure I remember telling my daughter to stop bringing in strays."

Even though her mother had said it sweetly, the statement still caused Kagome to fidget. With her hands playing with the hem of her sweater she gave the older woman a sheepish smile. "It's only for a little bit Mama. I'm going to try to find his owners tomorrow."

Mrs. Higurashi raised an eyebrow, "And what happens if you don't find them?"

Kagome answered as if the solution was as simple as breathing, "I'll find him a new home."

Yusuke scoffed, though it came out sounding more like a sneeze - which had the woman fondling his ears all over again. Not so bad now that he only had half of her attention.

With her mouth turned down into a skeptical frown, Mama shook her head before sighing. "You know as soon as Souta sees him he's going to beg me to keep him." When her daughter only answered with an apologetic shrug she gave Yusuke a serious look. "One wrong move mister and you go outside, understand?"

So dog whispering _did _run in the family. Shocking.

Normally the spirit detective would have rebelled at such a threat. He was Yusuke Urameshi damn it! Winner of the Dark Tournament and overall bad ass. Men, and demons, ten times her size ran in fear when they saw him coming! That's how his world worked up till a few hours ago. Now, he was a dog with dog rights. It would be a miracle if the girl let him sleep on the bed tonight - let him, because he _was _finding a way up on that bed whether she approved or not. But that wasn't going to happen if he got kicked outside. He glanced out the window and shivered. The very cold and wet outside . . .

Best to play nice, at least for now.

His pride revolted every second but he did his best to arrange his new face into what he hoped looked innocent. When both women simply stared at him, heads tilted, he wanted to roll his eyes in annoyance. Instead he put more in more effort, straining the hundreds of little facial muscles that he had yet to get used to.

One second, two seconds of silence and then, to his annoyance, laughter. Loud, unbridled, tears at the corners of their eyes laughter. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered trying. As they continued laughing, he wondered if maybe being outside wasn't such a bad idea. With his new paws he could at least try to bury himself in a hole out there.

Mrs. Higurashi wiped the corner of her eye with a delicate knuckle, "Oh my!" She giggled, patting the top of Yusuke's head affectionately, "What on earth do you think that was?"

Kagome, still doubled over with giggles, shook her head. Her face was flushed, and with her her full smile he could see the dimples in her cheeks. Finally, she caught her breath enough to speak, "I don't know! But I think he was trying to smile!"

Yusuke glared at them, but it only seemed to add to their amusement. Kagome, apparently done with her spasming, came over and scratched behind his ear. "Oh, don't be upset! Only a very special dog can make that cute a face!"

Great, now he was special. Did she really think he didn't understand that 'special' meant retarded? What a crappy dog whisperer. Where was that mexican guy that was always on the Discovery Channel? He wanted him instead damn it.

Mama chuckled, her hand reaching for the other ear, "Elvis," when her daughter - and dog - looked at her strangely she smiled, "That's who he looked like; Elvis Presley with his famous lip curl!"

Kagome giggled behind her hand, "You're right!" Kneeling beside him, she moved her petting hand from his ear to under his chin, "Are you a fan of the King?"

If she wasn't scratching his chin right now he'd be glaring at her. How about a world of no? The only thing that guy had going for him was his hair gel as far as Yusuke was concerned.

"What are we going to call him while he's with us?" The older Higurashi asked innocently, eyeing the dog in front of her.

Kagome rolled her eyes, "No Mama."

Mrs. Higurashi put on her most sincere expression, "What?"

"You are not naming him Elvis." Yusuke's head shot up, frantically looking between the two women. They couldn't be serious. They just - abruptly he remembered that he was _this _close to being 'Blackie'.

No doubt about it; he was in Hell.

"Oh, you ruin all my fun," Mrs. Higurashi pouted, "What's so wrong with Elvis?"

Other than the fact that he died a fat ass drug addict on his bathroom floor? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome got up off her knees, "Because he doesn't _look _like an Elvis." She straightened her skirt, "Besides, we shouldn't be naming him if we're not going to keep him, right?"

A dramatic sigh passed her lips and Mrs. Higurashi looked at him sadly, "I suppose my daughter is right. Souta would be sure to get over attached to you if you had a name . . ." She paused before she too got up with a bright smile (something that her daughter must have inherited), "But if you start singing I'll have no choice but to name you Elvis!"

Yusuke wasn't much of a singer to begin with. Still, he carefully filed the threat away into the 'Do Not Forget At All Costs' category of his brain.

Kagome looked like she wanted to roll her eyes again but it was too much effort, instead she just shook her head, "Really Mama, I still don't understand your obsession with him. He didn't even write his own songs."

Yusuke blinked. Really? Add that onto his list of reasons not to be named Elvis.

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head, though it was with a smile. "And I still refuse to believe it." Leaning over him, she kissed her daughter on the cheek before giving him a final pat on the head. "Go to bed dear, I have a feeling tomorrow will be a long day."

Kagome huffed, arms crossing over her chest, "I'm sure if Inuyasha has anything to say about it."

Yusuke wondered who the hell named their kid 'dog demon' - other than a die hard Yakuza - but Mrs. Higurashi seemed unfazed. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe these people weren't as innocent as they seemed. The girl _had _played the puppy police like they were small fry.

"Goodnight sweetheart. Try not to wake your brother on your way up," She smiled, "Lord knows we won't get any sleep if you do."

Kagome smiled back, already heading to the foot of the stairs, "I will." Yusuke, grudgingly, followed her until she stopped halfway up, as if words were suddenly burning on her tongue. "Mama?"

The older woman turned around, "Yes dear?"

Kagome fiddled with her sleeves, expression soft, "It's good to be home."

Mama smiled, though it was tinged with sadness, "It's good to have you back. Perhaps you could try to stay a little longer this time?"

Nodding, Kagome matched her mother's smile, "Yeah . . . that'd be nice." The words sounded false, as if she didn't expect it to happen.

Yusuke watched the interaction, body frozen on the stairs. The girl wasn't around a lot, that much was obvious. What was also obvious was that it wasn't by Kagome's choice. But what would keep a high school girl away from home?

Kagome had already made it to the top of the stairs by the time Yusuke realized he was being left behind. She patted her hip, "Come on Dog, time for bed." Her voice sounded tired and she yawned at the end of her (rather weak) command.

He huffed. First he was Boy, then Blackie, almost Elvis, and now he was, apparently, 'Dog'. Creativity was obviously not one of the girl's strong points. At least she wasn't calling him Puppy, though, at the rate she was going he wasn't going to hold his breath.

Lazily, just to show her that he wouldn't come running to her beck and call, he followed up the stairs and into her room.

Even without the ability to see it, he instinctively knew that her room was pink . . . lots and lots of pink. For once, and probably the only time, he was glad he was color blind.

Grumbling, he sank into the - undoubtedly pink - carpet, his head resting on his large paws. Behind him he heard the door click shut, and just as he figured out that the smell in her carpet was similar to her strawberry shampoo she walked past him and into his line of vision - pulling off her shirt.

He started, body snapping up like a rubber band as she tossed the garment into her laundry basket.

As a human he would have had no problem standing and staring. Hell, who was he to deny the opportunity of watching a girl undress right in front of him - especially with Keiko being such a prude.

Ugh, Keiko. There was another problem to mull over later; preferably when his new "master" wasn't unconsciously giving him a strip tease.

As she reached behind her back to unclasp her bra he turned away - positive that he'd be blushing underneath all his new fur. He couldn't explain it, but watching her now felt _wrong_. Maybe it was because she thought of him as a dog. She didn't know there was a hormonal teenage boy trapped inside his doggie exterior.

The fact that she was attractive only made it worse.

He couldn't help the way his ears twitched, despite trying to force them to stop, as the sound of clothes sliding against her skin and drawers opening and closing seemed to fill the room.

After what felt like an eternity he heard her foot steps coming up behind him, her hand patting his head with a giggle. "Well aren't you just the perfect gentleman?"

She had no freaking idea.

Deciding it was safe to turn around, Yusuke wasn't sure if he should be disappointed of elated with her nighttime wardrobe. The hem of her plain gray T-shirt just reached past her mid thigh, exposing her long toned legs to any hungry eyes. He'd have to seriously reevaluate his right and wrong policies, because his moral compass was spinning like a drunken ballerina.

Till then, he decided that enjoying the view her legs gave was acceptable. He tried not to focus on the fact that she was, obviously, bra less. Of course, being that he _was _in fact male, he might as well tell his eyes to stop seeing. If he hadn't saved the world several times over he'd definitely be going to Hell.

Oh wait, he was already there.

She tilted her head, "You sure are strange." When he raised his eyebrows she giggled, reaching over to give him another scratch behind the ear. "In a good way of course!" The hand that was petting him paused, reaching up to cover her yawn. "All right then, time for bed!" She gave him one last pat before turning off the light and hoping into her (pink) bed.

Yusuke waited a good three seconds before jumping in after her.

Kagome only waited two before trying to shove him off, "No no no no no. I like you Dog, but I am **not **sharing my bed."

Yusuke grumbled, but after another push hopped off grudgingly.

Even in the dark he could see her nod in approval, "Thank you." She turned over so her back was to him, covers drawn up to her shoulders. Yusuke waited till her breathing slowed and he knew she was asleep before carefully climbing onto the foot of the bed. He gave a doggy smirk when he successfully, and comfortably, settled in. Good thing she was short or he would have never had enough room.

He yawned, feeling his absurdly long tongue curl. Laying his head down on his front paws he couldn't help the soft taps his tail made on her comforter and the blissful sigh that escaped his nose.

He had said it before, and he'd say it again for as long as he had to.

Screw sleeping on the floor.

**(:)(A)(:)**

No offense to any Elvis fans out there.

Please read and review!


	4. An Introduction

_"Whoever said "let sleeping dogs lie" didn't sleep with dogs.  
>-Unknown<em>

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<br>The Good Dog  
>Chapter #4<br>(:)(A)(:)**

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><p>Waking up, Kagome couldn't help but feel that something was off. Dimly, her sleep heavy mind registered that she had her legs curled up against her stomach awkwardly. Her lower back felt stiff and achy, begging for movement. Drowsily, she straightened her legs, eager to answer her body's wishes.<p>

She couldn't help the confusion she felt when her feet were stopped by some kind of mass. At first her mind said 'Buyo', the fat cat loved sleeping on her bed and had become a little too used to it while she was away. But when she tried to move her feet around the massive cat (she really needed to work on being less nice) she found that she couldn't.

Her eyes blinked open and she groaned. There was plenty of light flooding her room through the sheer pink curtains, enough for her to know that morning was dangerously close to becoming noon. Now fully awake, she frowned.

She rarely slept in so late - Inuyasha had made sure of that. Even on the rare occasion that she got to spend a weekend at home, he had screwed up her internal clock so much that sleeping in was near impossible. Of course, sleeping in her own bed usually meant that she slept well enough to not need the extra hours.

Sitting up, she started rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before pausing abruptly. Taking up the entire foot of her bed slept the reason for her achy back - sprawled out and looking entirely too comfortable. She could feel her lower eyelid twitch even as she struggled to remain rational.

He was just a dog. It wasn't like he completely understood everything she had said last night when she had made it **quite **clear that her bed was off limits. Except, as he let out a loud snore, she had the feeling that he totally did. She nudged him with her toe, frowning when it had no effect. Part of her - the angry part - wanted to grab him by the collar and haul him off. The smarter part knew that waking up a strange dog like that was just asking to get bit.

Inuyasha taught her that much.

She nudged him a little harder, "Wake up Dog!" Her voice wasn't that loud, but the frustrated tone seemed to be enough to at least wake him. He lifted an eyelid lazily, staring at her for a few long seconds before groaning. His body stretched across the entire width of the queen sized bed, a large yawn rolling off his tongue before he lifted himself off the sheets.

Her haughty, "thank you" died on her lips when he simply turned around - back to her - and flopped back onto her mattress with a satisfied groan. Again, she had the overwhelming feeling that he knew _exactly_what he was doing.

"Dog . . ." the word (name even?) pushed past her clenched teeth with all the gentleness of an enraged bull. When the black mass of muscle let out an unconcerned huff, Kagome flat out growled. Flinging the covers off, she stomped around her bed to glare at him. She waited, with hands on her hips, until his eyes opened and he gave her a bored look. "I thought we had a deal?"

He didn't move a muscle, but somehow the bored expression in his eyes seemed to sharpen into something contemplative. His chocolate gaze fixed to hers, and Kagome swore she could see the gears in his mind churning over her words. Again, she asked herself if she was seeing an intelligence that wasn't there - if perhaps she was fabricating the emotions and thoughts she saw behind his gaze. But when he gave a grumbled sort of growl before removing himself from her bed . . .

How could it be a mere coincidence?

She stood there in shock before shaking herself out of it. Not a coincidence, just a misunderstanding. It wasn't her words, it was her actions that got the desired result. Standing there in front of him, she had issued a challenge. She had defended her title as . . . er, what did Inuyasha always call it? . . . Alpha! She had defended her title as alpha and intimidated him off her bed.

It was all about body language, and with Inuyasha as a companion she knew _plenty _about its use and execution.

The dog stretched, the lean muscles in his back tensing as his spine and tail arched. Then, folding his back legs underneath him, he watched her expectantly.

Kagome let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. That _had _to be it, it just had to. Had her time in the feudal era not made anything seem possible she wouldn't have even _considered_ the notion of a dog intelligent enough to understand the concept of a deal. To understand speech even! He was smart - really smart. She would admit that much. But no dog was _that _smart . . . unless maybe he was possessed?

She shook her head to dislodge the passing thought before her imagination had the chance to run away with it. "All right then!" She walked over to her closet, reaching into its depths and pulling out her pink bathrobe. "I guess we should start with letting you out to go to the bathroom." She pulled her arms through the fluffy sleeves and tied it closed around her waist with a slight frown. "Honestly, I'm surprised you held it so long."

Again, that grumbled growl rattled loosely in his chest. But instead of receiving his pointed stare, which she had been expecting, he ignored her in favor of walking to her door. He stared it down for a good couple seconds as Kagome slid her feet into her slippers before butting it with his head.

Hard.

She jumped, hand flying to her startled heart. Weren't dogs suppose to whine at the door when they were ready to go out? Shocked, she watched in fascination as he took a couple steps back, head lowering and haunches tensing - "**No!**" Quickly, she swung the door open, unamused when he let himself through with an achieved smile on his face and meandered down the stairs. "Stupid dog," she grumbled, closing the door behind her before following the ever exasperating canine.

What kind of dog tried to break through a door before _asking_to be let out? She knew he was stubborn the moment she clipped the leash onto his collar - his feet digging into pavement were proof enough of that. But running head first into a door? That was just stupid, and rash, and - well, something Inuyasha would do.

She sighed, running a hand through her sleep tangled locks. Wasn't dealing with one stubborn dog enough?

"When did we get a dog!" Hearing the excitement in Souta's voice, Kagome couldn't help but smile as she reached the bottom step. Souta's game controller dangled forgotten from his fingers as he stared at the canine. From the kitchen she could hear her mother's amused, albeit serious, voice carry from the kitchen.

"Don't get too excited dear," She emerged from around the corner, wiping her hands with a dish towel before giving her daughter a smile, "Kagome is going to try to find his home today. Isn't that right dear?"

Kagome nodded and Souta's disappointed groan was immediate. "We should just keep him!" He wrapped his pajama clad arms around the dog's neck, much to the canine's discomfort. "We need a dog!"

Mrs. Higurashi sighed, giving her daughter a look that clearly said 'this is _so _your fault'. With a hand reaching up to her temples, the older woman shook her head. "We'll talk about keeping him if Kagome can't find his owner." She gave her youngest a serious look. "And not a moment before young man."

Souta grumbled under his breath, arms loosening to the dog's obvious relief. Kagome couldn't help but feel a little bit of pity for him . . .

Her brother - not the dog. The dog would be lucky to get anything from her after his stupid stunt last night.

Souta had made it known that he wanted a dog since he was able to talk. At first he had been satisfied by a little stuffed blue dog that he had (inappropriately) named Spot. Kagome remembered fondly how he used to tie shoelaces around its stuffed neck and drag it around the shrine grounds for a 'walk'. Spot had been a constant companion until Souta started kindergarten and realized that some of the other kids had _real _dogs. Kagome had been more than supportive of the idea. Her mother - never one to completely shut them down - always replied with "maybe when you're older".

She could tell by Souta's crestfallen face that he realized that their mother's words, just like all those years before, translated into a big, fat 'no'. Her heart went out to him. "Why don't you take him out for a little walk around the shrine while I scrounge up something for him to eat?"

His face immediately lit up, his ten year old body suddenly humming with energy. Kagome couldn't help but smile. "The leash is hanging next to my coat."

Souta was gone in a flash, tearing through the coat closet until his fingers found the cheap leash and he held it up like some kind of prize. "Come on boy!" Kagome would have sworn the dog's sides heaved with a sigh before accepting his fate as her brother's new playmate. The leash clipped on, Souta opened the door for him to meander through, words tumbling out of his mouth as he described the great adventures they were going to have.

Mrs. Higurashi gave her daughter an exasperated look as the door closed. Kagome only shrugged sheepishly. "What? It will be good for both of them! They'll burn off some energy."

Her mother responded with raised eyebrows. "We're not keeping him."

Kagome rolled her eyes, beginning to search the cabinets for the dog's makeshift breakfast. "I know Mama. I'm taking him to the vet's right after breakfast to see if he's been micro chipped." She held up a bright yellow cereal box with a curious frown. "Do dogs eat Cheerios?"

A sigh passed her lips, but Mrs. Higurashi decided to allow the change of subject. "He's a dog dear - he'll eat anything you give him." Her daughter immediately snorted.

"Tell that to Inuyasha! God forbid I bring him anything but Ramen!" She set the box on the counter before rummaging for a bowl. When had she managed to forget how her own kitchen was set up? Finally finding them in the third cabinet she hesitated before grabbing a bowl for herself. There was no explaining how much she missed milk while she was in the feudal era, but she knew it was apparent to her mother who wore that knowing smile every time she asked for milk with dinner. She grabbed a spoon for herself and poured the o's out of their box, mumbling. "Unappreciative jerk."

Her mother smiled softly, no doubt words of comfort resting on her tongue when the back door opened suddenly, Souta's face peeking around the wood. "Hey Kagome? What's his name?"

Surprised by the sudden question, Kagome blinked owlishly while she processed the inquiry. She _really _didn't get a good enough sleep last night. "Name?"

Souta nodded, watching her expectantly. "Ya, what are we calling him? There isn't a name on his collar."

Kagome sighed, setting the Cheerios onto the counter. "I know there isn't." She glanced at her mother for support, but Mrs. Higurashi only raised her eyebrow with a tiny smile tipping the corner of her mouth. Her expression clearly said she was _not _going to be the bad guy this time.

Kagome frowned. Thanks for the support there Mom. "I don't think it would be a good idea to name him just yet."

Souta frowned. "But we have to call him _something_."

A flustered hand ran through her tangled hair and she winced when her finger caught on a particularly nasty snag. "All right then, we'll call him Dog."

Her brother blinked, but instead of his nose crinkling in distaste (which she had fully expected) his face broke into a wide grin. "Naming him after Inuyasha huh?"

She flushed even as her jaw clenched and her hands fisted on the counter. "I am not. I'm just calling him what he is."

"Just like Inuyasha is called what he is?" His voice was teasing, and Kagome had to fight the urge to take the bait from the ten year old.

"I guess so." Her brother's mouth opened and, seeing the mischievous glint in his eye, she quickly cut him off before he could continue. "Where **is **the dog?"

"Oh," he blinked, "I tied him to one of the benches." Her puzzled expression must have been all to easy to read. He shrugged. "He looked like he wanted some privacy."

Mrs. Higurashi, who had made her way over to the kitchen window while her children bantered, smiled behind her hand. "I think you may have given him a little too much time to himself."

Souta, frowning, looked behind him before yelping. "Dog! What are you doing!" The door slammed shut behind him, but Kagome could still make out his muffled voice. "You're suppose to make Mama and Grandpa love you! Grandpa's going to kill you when he gets home!"

Curious, Kagome peered out the window with her mother. Eyes scanning over the snow covered landscape, it didn't take her long to see what her mother found so amusing.

A path, at least twenty feet of swaying trail, had been carved into the snow. At the end of it, Dog powered forward - away from the house- with the bench dragging behind him like some cumbersome sleigh. Even from the house, Kagome could see his muscles straining and she just _knew _if she were closer his face would be the vision of determination.

She shook her head, mouth parted in awe and amazement as the dog continued to inch his way up the hill while Souta struggled to reach him. "I can't believe it. I, single handedly, found a creature more stubborn and pig headed than Inuyasha."

Her mother laughed, the sound tinkering around the kitchen as they watched the rest of the scene play out.

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

I couldn't bring myself to give Yusuke another 'real' name. It just didn't feel right!

I want to point out that "Dog" is only in english because I would confuse the hell out of myself if I put "Inu". So truly, his name is Inu, but for the sake of my sanity (and everyone else's) we are just going to leave it as Dog.

Grandpa's out playing chess in the park. With himself. For all those who wanted to know. ;D

Please read and review!


	5. The Vet

_"Yesterday I was a dog. Today I'm a dog. Tomorrow I'll probably still be a dog. Sigh! There's so little hope for advancement."  
>-Snoopy<em>_**  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<br>The Good Dog  
>Chapter #5<br>(:)(A)(:)**

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Yusuke to figure out why animals hated going to the vet's office. He himself had to swallow a whimper as he passed through the automated doors - he couldn't help but stop as a wave of dizzying nausea hit him. Luckily the girl seemed to realize that he really wasn't <em>trying <em>to be difficult . . . that time at least.

The smell was just . . . bad. Really, **really**, bad. Stop you in your tracks and stay there bad. The fact that a hundred pound girl had to drag him through the doors should make that clear to anyone doubting.

Under the dizzying smell of bleach he could easily pick out the stench of piss and, varying levels, of shit. That alone would make any self respecting person gag, but over everything else, another smell suffocated the space like a heavy blanket.

A germ infested, rotting meat covered blanket. With some sewage on the side.

Needless to say, Yusuke hadn't smelled anything like it. Even in the Demon Realm where especially bad smells seemed to fester - especially piss and shit; someone really needed to work on getting more indoor plumbing over there. He panted, trying desperately not to breath through his now highly sensitive nose, and added this experience on to the list of reasons to beat the living shit out of that old bitch the next time he saw her.

His stomach rolled as he tried to hold his nausea down, but damn if he couldn't taste that disgusting shit on his tongue. His muscles twitched in apprehension while every nerve in his new body begged to run his ass out the door.

He glanced behind him to see Kagome focused on some girlie magazine; the bane of his doggy existence wrapped loosely around her wrist. He could totally make a break for it. One good lunge and he'd be out those doors before the girl even had the chance to tighten her grip. He watched her from his position on the floor. She turned a page. He sighed.

With his shitty luck he'd probably rip her arm out of her socket before she let go. Not a good move if he was shooting for Cheerios again tomorrow morning. Bitterly, he realizes that things would be so much easier if she was a total bitch. Or hideous - that would probably help too.

To his left the puffy . . . thing whined pitifully from its carrier. Its owner, a balding older man, ignored it. The white puff ball shook, little tremors skittering up its legs and into its fluff. A little pink tongue darted out in nervous pants and sent tiny droplets of saliva to the floor. Another, stronger, shiver went through its body before it laid down with a louder whine.

It was at that moment that Yusuke understood what the smell was, and why he didn't entirely recognize it . His human nose would be too weak to pick up the scent, even if he surrounded himself with sick people. He could smell disease lingering on the floors and, in some places, on the walls.

He could only imagine how bad a hospital would smell.

The heavy looking door to the right of the receptionist's desk opened and revealed a young assistant in kitten themed scrubs. "Miss Higurashi?" He watched as she looked up from her clipboard with a fake smile as Kagome stood behind him. It took her a moment, but when her eyes lowered to Yusuke's he couldn't help but feel satisfied when she blinked in surprise. "Wow! He's so big!"

He smirked as he stayed in step with Kagome. That's what _she _said.

Kagome just continued to follow the assistant to the next room and he felt his amusement fade. Apparently those jokes were only funny when other people heard them.

Damn, he _really _missed vocal chords.

He heard Kagome's grumbled, "don't I know it" before the door closed behind him, clicking into place. Kitten - as he decided to dub her since he didn't really give a shit about her real name so much as the annoying cats eyeing him from her pants - lead them towards a scale while she chatted aimlessly.

"We don't get big dogs in here often, most people living in apartments and all!"

Yusuke scanned the room, making mental notes on how best to escape. He could hide in that broom closet and wait for someone to open the door again . . .

"Not to mention how much they eat - we went through a whole box of cereal this morning like it was nothing!"

Then again he could probably scramble over the receptionist's desk. Maybe if he scared the living daylights out of the old woman manning the station she wouldn't think of grabbing him . . .

"Oh, you really shouldn't give them people food you know. It can be very bad for them!"

Fuck it, if she grabbed him he'd just take her old ass with him. He didn't like that look she gave him when they checked in anyway.

"Oh I know, it was a last resort. I'm picking up some dog food on the way home."

His escape planning screeched to a halt. What did she just say?

He watched Kitten nod in approval. "I highly recommend the Science Diet, it's got great vitamins packed in there!"

Kagome smiled _way _too sincerely. "Thanks! I'll definitely look for that one then!"

He was going to kill Kitten. After he ripped apart all her kitty friends until they were in unrecognizable pieces, dying on the bleach-piss-shit soaked floor.

And he was going to make her watch damn it.

"So what's his name?" she asked, busy pressing buttons on the dog scale.

Yusuke glowered, increasingly violent images reeling through his mind like a horror movie. "Uh, well . . ." Kagome tucked a lock of hair behind her ear sheepishly. "He's not my dog, I'm just trying to see if he's chipped . . ."

He watched Kitten nod. "That's fine. What are you calling him for now? Just so I can put a name on his chart."

The fact that Kagome at least seemed embarrassed only marginally improved his foul mood. If only because she looked even cuter with her cheeks stained red. "We didn't want my little brother to get too attached - I've just been calling him Dog."

The (soon to be dead) assistant laughed and the stupid _fucking _kittens on her chest seemed to squirm in their own amusement. He glared as Kagome stood silently beside him, her blush undoubtedly deepening, until the stupid bitch realized it wasn't a joke. "Oh, right. Ok." She scribbled something on the clipboard before coughing into her hand. "So why don't you walk . . . Dog, onto the scale."

He didn't even wait for Kagome to lead him. He wanted to get the hell out of there and fast. Though, as he put his homicidal thoughts on hold and watched the red numbers climb up into the triple digits, he had to admit he was curious. On his left the assistant let out a low whistle. Kagome's face, to his chagrin, was getting paler by the second. "He weighs more than I do!"

Sure enough, when he turned his attention back to the digital numbers they were flickering between 153 and 154. He blinked, dots slowly connecting as Kagome fretted beside him. He weighed the same as he had when he was human. He tilted his head, staring at the numbers as if they could change at a moments notice.

They didn't.

A soft tug around his neck jolted him out of his baffled thoughts and instantly brought back that sour taste in the back of his mouth. Right, still a dog with a collar. He huffed loudly, following the women without bothering to listen to their chatter. Kagome's face still wore that shocked shitless expression though, and that at least brought some smug satisfaction to his heart.

He could drag her around like a fucking Barbie doll. He knew it. Dumb bitch Kitten knew it. But most importantly, Kagome knew it. And damn if he wasn't going to use it to his full advantage when she tried to drag his ass into a pet store later. His tail beat against her thigh at the mental image until a sneeze interrupted. Happy thoughts were suddenly gone as he realized the smell was even worse in the windowless room.

He wasn't going to puke, he wasn't. He was too tough for that.

"Doctor Yamamoto will be with you in just a moment." And then the door was closed, locking Yusuke away in his own personal hell.

While he tried to ignore the rolling in his stomach, Kagome sat limply in one of the available chairs and shook her head in residual disbelief. "One hundred and fifty pounds . . ." She groaned, her head falling back and exposing her pale throat. "You're going to eat me out of house and home. I just know it!" Her body slouched dejectedly in the chair, a pitiful pout on her lips. "I guess I can say goodbye to my allowance; it's probably going to take that and more to keep you fed."

Yusuke huffed, unimpressed with her problems as he tried to get himself as far away from the floors stench as possible. He tried to make himself comfortable on the chair next to her with little success. It was too small and the plastic surface made it hard to keep his feet planted. Regardless, it sure as hell beat sitting on the bleach drowned, disease ridden floor. His nose and stomach were already feeling the benefits.

He was busy glaring at the floor when the vet came in - bald, shiny head, round glasses and all. Yusuke snorted when the man froze in the doorway at the sight of him. "Wow, big dog."

Yusuke rolled his eyes. Nice to meet you Captain Obvious, my name's Dog.

Kagome, suddenly all manners, stood up and shook the vet's hand. "Dr. Yamamoto it's so good to see you!" She gestured toward Yusuke, who refused to move from the chair. "I found him last night at the train station. He's in such great shape; I'm assuming he got lost but he doesn't have a tag. Do you think you could check to see if he's been micro chipped?"

Dr. Yamamoto nodded, pushing up his glasses. "I think that's more than possible. Lets have us a look shall we?" He picked up the chart that was left on the counter. "Why don't you bring, er . . ." He seemed to reread the sheet, "Dog, over here."

For a moment he seriously considered giving the finger to both of them and refuse to move. The closer to the floor he was the more his stomach kicked his ass for it. But on further consideration, he concluded that the sooner they realized there wasn't a chip the sooner he could get the hell out of there. With a irritated grumble he made his way over to the vet before Kagome could tug on the leash. He didn't miss the relieved look on her face; the girl was probably thinking she'd have to drag him across the room.

The vet, to Yusuke's annoyance, chuckled. "Ah, looks like we have a smart one here. His owner very well may have given him some training." Yusuke glared, but it was short lived as he felt his previous nausea return with a vengeance. Damn, he really needed to get out of there.

The vet, oblivious to his problems, ran his hands over his patients face - checking his eyes, ears, and teeth before patting his head. "Definitely a good looking dog. Bright eyes, sleek coat," he moved his hands down the detective's sides, "solid, well defined structure." He nodded, as if in approval. "Definitely Pedigree. I tend to agree with you Miss Higurashi - a dog like this certainly wasn't dropped off."

Yusuke's stomach made a pitiful whining noise that apparently only he could hear. A low, irritated growl followed immediately after. This fucker really needed to shut up and hurry up.

Perhaps the good doctor was getting smarter, because suddenly a white plastic device was running over Yusuke's neck and shoulders. A few minutes later, Yusuke could hear the frown in his voice. "Unfortunately, it doesn't look like he's chipped."

Kagome's shoulders slumped. Yusuke's nose still burned. "You're joking."

Cleaning the device with a sterilizing wipe, he shook his head. "Wish I was. Dog like that, I'm sure his owners are missing him. What a shame." He shook his head and Yusuke got the sudden feeling that he was being itemized. The burst of anger didn't help his rapidly growing urge to hurl. "I guess the best course of action at this point would be to post some fliers in the area you found him."

The dazed expression didn't' leave Kagome's face. "Fliers . . . right." She shook her head, desperation creeping into her voice. "Are you sure he's not chipped? Maybe we should check again."

Between the clenching of his gut, Yusuke wondered if he should feel insulted.

Dr. Yamamoto chuckled good naturedly. "Miss Kagome I am quite sure that there is _no _chip." He held out the leash to her. "He's all yours unless his owners, by some miracle, see your postings. If they don't, bring him back and we'll talk about getting him neutered."

_Neutered_?

Yusuke hurled. The acidic taste burned his throat and sat unpleasantly on his tongue. His gut felt like someone punched it a couple times over and now the smell was even worse. But he liked to look on the bright side.

At least he didn't miss the doctor's expensive looking leather shoes.

* * *

><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

Sorry it took so long. With Christmas and pre wedding panic starting to set in I've been a bit distracted. Hoping that panic thing starts to fade . . . really don't want four months of stressed induced nightmares following me around.

You might see me dipping my toes into some Soul Eater fan fiction sometime soon. I got a couple ideas I wanted to write out and seeing how obsessed I've been with other people's fics I figure I may as well.

Gotta thank Poisoned Scarlet for not only creating some awesome fics but for meeting her hundred fic goal - now _that's _inspiration! Maybe some day I'll get there . . . someday.

Thanks all to those who were patient and still reading! Let me know what you think of this latest chapter. =)


	6. Ramen

_A dog can express more with his tail in seconds than his owner can express with his tongue in hours. ~Author Unknown_

* * *

><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<br>The Good Dog  
>Chapter #6<br>(:)(A)(:)**

* * *

><p>Sometimes, Kagome thought, her big yellow backpack was just a little <strong>too<strong> big. Tossing Shippo's crayons over her shoulder, she realized that this was definitely one of those times. "Dang it! I _know _it's in here! I just used it last week!" A couple containers of beef flavored ramen was added to the growing pile on her bedroom floor. Her fingertips brushed against the rough and - to Kagome's disgust - incredibly dirty bottom of the pack. She looked down into it in disbelief.

Empty.

She groaned, rubbing her temples in hopes to relieve her growing headache. Seeing the reason for her migraine sniffing at one of the discarded ramen containers, she had a feeling that her efforts would be in vane. "Ok, I just need to think." She stared at the pack in concentration, avidly ignoring what suspiciously sounding like ripping styrofoam. "I had Kaede take a group picture, and then I took some pictures around the village to show Mama . . ." her shoulders slumped as she remembered what happened next.

"I gave it to Shippo to play with. Shoot!" Going to get it was out of the question - Inuyasha would do everything in his power to keep her there. She would have to wait until Mama came back from Souta's soccer game to use hers. Kagome groaned, head falling into her hands. She wouldn't be able to get any flyers posted tonight.

Crunching noises filled her ears and she turned around sharply - hardly surprised to see Dog's nose engulfed by a styrofoam noodle cup. "So you'll eat uncooked ramen but you won't eat the dog food I bought you?" When he ignored her she sighed, too disappointed with her lack of camera to be angry. At least he was being somewhat neat with it. "You know, Inuyasha would kill you if he caught you eating his ramen."

Dog paused, dried noodles sticking to his nose as his eyebrows rose skeptically. She couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips. "Ramen's his favorite you know." Dog's response was to chew, loud and open mouthed. Kagome laughed, patting his head before emptying his open container onto one of the plastic plates she had unpacked. "There you go, that should make it a bit easier to eat," she said happily. But instead of him charging at the plate, which she had fully expected, he sat watching her expectantly. She stared back with a confused frown until his large foot pawed at the flavor packet she had set aside.

Her smile fell. "Seriously?" When his foot gave another, exaggerated, gesture she rolled her eyes. "I swear, you and Inuyasha are -"

A soft swell of power had her blinking, staring through the wall where she knew the well was. She knew she shouldn't be surprised - when did Inuyasha ever give her the full amount of time she requested? "Really? I was hoping for another day at least," she grumbled, hastily grabbing the foil packet, tearing it open, and spreading the flavored seasoning over the dry noodles. "There. Enjoy while I go beg for mercy."

She made a dash to the door before abruptly pausing and turning back with the intent to tell Dog to be good, only to find his attention focused elsewhere. At his feet the ramen remained untouched as he stared at the direction of the well, hair bristling along his back. Could he - ? Kagome shook herself from the thought, deciding to evaluate it later. "Be good!" She didn't wait for a response, closing the door and effectively locking him in before clamoring down the stairs and grabbing her coat of the hook. She opened the front door just in time to see a blur of red jump into the shrine's sacred tree and sighed.

He had nearly given a visitor a heart attack when they saw him tapping on her window the last time he had come to fetch her. She was glad that he had taken her scolding to heart and hid himself from view as she had asked. Though she knew as soon as he checked the place and found no troublesome visitors he would not hesitate to jump to her window. She closed the door behind her and making her way under the sacred tree, pulled her coat around tighter against the cold. Not a moment before she was under it's snow covered branches, Inuyasha dropped down - apparently convinced that there was indeed no one else on the grounds.

He crossed his arms, a familiar glower pulling at his dark eyebrows. "What the hell's taking you so long?"

She rolled her eyes, praying for patience as she mimicked his position. "I wasn't suppose to come back till tomorrow morning." He grumbled something incoherent under his breath and Kagome instinctively knew it was probably something she wouldn't like. She held onto her thread of patience like a life line. "Have there been any rumors?"

His clawed hands moved to rest into his sleeves, scowl deepening as he grumbled an irritated "no".

Her enthusiasm was apparent. "Good!" At his horrified look she back tracked sheepishly. "Well, not _good_ but . . . well." Her shoulders slumped as he continued to look at her as if she were possessed - in his defense it _had _happened before. Perhaps it would be best for her to simply cut to the chase. "Inuyasha I need more time home."

Glower instantly back in place, his answer was immediate. "No."

Patience she reminded herself, chanting the word in her head like a mantra. Her hands clasped in front of her though she wasn't sure yet if it was to plead with him or pray. "Look, I know you were expecting me back tomorrow. But -"

"No."

Patience, patience, patience. "I just need a couple more days and -"

"No."

_**Patience**_**. **"You don't have any leads any way, so -"

"Damn it you're not staying!" He was suddenly much closer, tanned face and molten eyes glaring down at her. "I already gave you three days, why the hell would you . . ." His expression changed and his nose twitched before wrinkling in distaste. "When the fuck did you get a dog?"

Arms crossed over her chest, she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "That's why I need to stay longer. I found a dog and I'm trying to find his owner."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Why? Just kick him out, he'll be fine."

She gaped at him, appalled at the suggestion. "No! He's someone's pet!" She heaved a sigh, tucking a dark lock of hair behind her ear with cold fingers. "I found him, so I'm responsible for him until I find his home."

Golden eyes narrowed and the beginnings of a growl were vibrating in his throat. "You aren't staying."

Patience was officially gone. "Why not? There aren't any leads anyway, you said so yourself!"

For a few blessed moments he didn't have an answer and his mouth opened and closed in silence. For once she thought she may have won their little argument without having to 'sit' him. So of course Inuyasha did what he always did when he was at a loss; he guilt tripped her. "It's your fault the damn jewels broken! So it's your job to fix it!"

She thought some of her molars may crack with the force she's grinding them. "What, exactly, do you think I've been doing for the past two years!" By her sides, her unkept nails were digging into the meaty flesh of her hands.

"Well if you didn't put so much time into your stupid school crap and come home so much maybe we'd be done!"

She hated how predictable he was. She hated how angry it made her even more. She pointed a shaking finger to the well, every muscle in her body stiff as stone. "Leave."

His perplexed expression only lasted three heartbeats (she knew because she could hear the blood pounding in her ears) before turning to anger. "I'll leave when you come with me!"

The shaking had moved from her hands to the rest of her body and she toyed with the idea of sending him face first into the snow. "I'll come back tomorrow as we agreed."

He still wasn't getting it. "Why the hell don't you just come now? Stop wasting time!"

"Inuyasha, if you don't leave right now I'm going to say _that_ word so many times you'll wake up on the other side of the world." Her eyes flashed, "**Leave.**"

A very twisted part of her wished he would test her, another was relieved when he seemed to think better of it. He fidgeted, eyeing her warily before snapping out a sharp 'fine' and disappearing into the well house. Likewise, Kagome found herself stomping up the stairs (having nearly forgotten to take off her snow covered shoes at the door) and slamming her bedroom door behind her.

"That . . . **asshole!**" She ran her shaky fingers through her hair, nearly ready to scream in frustration when she noticed Dog staring at her. Between them the ramen remained untouched and the curtains to her bedroom window had somehow managed to loosely wrap itself around his tail. With clarity she didn't know her frazzled brain currently possessed, she knew he had watched her from the window.

Her back slid down the planed wood until her butt hit carpet, still staring at the creature that had made her life just _that _much more difficult. Even so, watching him fidget uncomfortably under her stare, she couldn't feel any bitterness towards him. When a soft, barely audible, whine left his throat she blinked and felt a wetness weighing down her lashes. Numbly, she brought a hand up to her cheeks and realized she had been crying.

She laughed, only part of it in real amusement. "Guess you can't handle crying girls either, huh boy?" She wiped at her cheeks with the palm of her hands. Dog still watched her with a mixture of discomfort and awkwardness. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to hold it in next time." She chuckled bitterly, sniffing as her fingers wiped any lingering tears beneath her eyes.

When she looked back up he was right there at her side, shuffling his feet awkwardly while his eyes darted to hers. Then, she watched as with a groan he closed the mere inches between them and set his dark head on her shoulder. He stayed there, in what she could only describe as an awkward dog version of a half hug, even when her head leaned on his and her damp hands took comfort in his soft ears. "You really are a lot like him - he always hates seeing me cry."

She felt his hot breath against her neck and a vibration against her shoulder when he gave a displeased growl. A soft, sad smile curves her lips and she turned her head to give him a little kiss on the muzzle. She swore the look in his eyes to be embarrassment. "Just . . . try not to hurt me too. Ok?"

He snorted, his eyes hardening into something that looked like a promise she couldn't help but believe. For the first time since bringing him home, she kinda wished Mama would let him stay. Even though he had slept on her bed and refused to eat the food she had bought him, Kagome thinks it might be worth it if he would let her take comfort in his warmth like he did now.

She's not sure how long they stayed like that, girl and canine huddled against her bedroom door, but when she hears the front door open and Mama and Souta's voices drift up the stairs she knew it had been a while. When she got up her knees popped and her back felt sore but looking down at Dog - who watched her apprehensively - her heart felt just a little bit lighter.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Mama, as always, is understanding of the situation. Of course they can take care of the dog while she's gone, she'll have Souta pin up flyers tomorrow for her. As they set the table for dinner she had to stop Grandpa from slapping an ofuda onto Dog's unsuspecting face (she hates to think of how long it would take her to get the sticky substance off his fur). She managed to convince him that Dog really was just a dog, even though he seems to be glaring at her grandfather with a very human amount of disdain. Souta tried to be sneaky but they all knew he was feeding Dog scraps under the table - they could feel the table shake whenever he didn't crouch low enough.

That night she packed up her yellow bag with methodical hands, clearing her room of the mess she had made only hours earlier. Dog sat right beside her, watching as she put each item in its place, up until her pile becomes minimal and he disappeared from her sight. Behind her she heard the sound of seasoned ramen noodles being scarfed and smiled, slowing down to give him more time before reaching for his empty plate.

When she changed for bed she notices that, like the night before, he turned away to give her privacy and can't help but shake her head in amusement as she crawled into bed. She fell asleep to his rhythmic breathing and can't find herself angry at him when she wakes up and finds him at the foot of her bed.

She ate a quick breakfast and gave a kiss goodbye to her mother and grandfather, a wave to her brother, and a soft affectionate pat to Dog's head before she made her way to the well house. The yellow pack dug into her shoulders the way it always did after she restocked supplies. She opened the well house door and, on a whim, turned to look back at the house. She could see Dog's large figure in the living room window and knew that he was watching. She gave a smile and a wave before closing the door behind her.

She hoped that he'd be there when she returned home.

**(:)(A)(:)**

This . . . totally didn't turn out as expected. Also, I somehow managed to change the tense halfway through, not sure how or why as that usually isn't a problem for me, but somehow I managed it. Went back to try and fix it, hopefully I got it all. Will probably go back again when my head isn't (apparently) jumbled. In the meantime I figured you guys would appreciate this chapter coming out regardless.

As always thanks for all your kind reviews!


	7. The Well

"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man."  
>- Mark Twain<p>

**(:)(A)(:)  
>The Good Dog<br>Chapter #7  
>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

Yusuke didn't have a single fucking clue what was going on.

Sitting on his haunches he glared at the wooden structure across the yard from his new spot in the living room. Behind him Souta played his video games with enthusiastic thumbs while Mrs. H opened and closed cabinets in the kitchen in preparation for a dinner he would only get scraps of. He didn't know where the crazy old guy went, and frankly he didn't really give a shit. All he wanted to know was what the hell the girl was doing in that freaking measly building for ten hours.

Really, he was dying to know. Given him any longer to stare and contemplate and he was pretty sure his imagination would be coming up with some ideas that were less than modest. But ten hours? What the hell could be so entertaining for her to be gone for _ten hours_? The giant backpack she took with her only added to the mystery. Maybe if she had loaded it up with normal girlie stuff he'd be less suspicious, but the thing had been packed full of camping equipment and - even weirder - bowl upon styrofoam bowl of instant ramen.

Something really strange was going on. There was no other door in or out of the structure (he had checked when the kid had _so kindly_ let him out to take a piss) and he had been watching the entire day for her to emerge. He had no doubt that she was still in there, he just didn't understand _why_. Also, the thing didn't exactly look like it had indoor plumbing so shouldn't she have come out like, hours ago?

The lack of screaming animated characters prepared him for the sudden childlike hand he suddenly found patting his head. "Don't worry boy! Kagome promised that she would be back in a week this time!" _A week? _Yusuke's head swiveled to look up at the boy. Souta glanced into the kitchen warily, seemingly satisfied that his mother was preoccupied, before leaning down and whispering around a cupped hand. "I'm going to delay those posters as long as possible! So we just have to make Mama love you in the meantime, ok?"

Yusuke stared blankly at the boy for a few seconds longer, hoping beyond hope that the kid might actually give him some useful information. Like how and why his sibling was sitting in a shack for a week.

No such luck.

In his annoyance, he huffed. By the ridiculous smile spreading across the kid's face he must have taken it as a sign of compliance. Yusuke had a lot of unanswered questions. One being what the hell was up with these people. They all took dog whispering to a whole new level, the old geezer tried to purify him with a freaking oversized sticky note, and the girl was now camping out in a oversized shed for a week.

That all of course was without mentioning visits from unregistered angry dog demons.

His energy had appeared on the shrine grounds out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly. The guy must have been using some kind of concealment spell, because even though he wasn't half as strong as Kurama or Hiei his youki was still enough to show up on radar. Definitely strong enough to where he should not be walking around mingling with humans on this side of the border. And from what he could see from the girl's window, the son of a bitch _was _mingling. Kagome had been way too comfortable around him - pissed off, but comfortable. He doubted she would have ordered him off the property if she wasn't. Words couldn't describe Yusuke's frustration when the blasted tree in the courtyard blocked his vision on where the demon went off too. As much as Yusuke hated doing work off the clock - because if turning into a dog didn't qualify him for work leave he didn't know what would - he felt uneasy letting a demon of his caliber just walk off. The girl coming back crying didn't help in that regard.

He hated crying women. Hated. Especially when he was cornered in a room with absolutely no where to run except through the window and to his death. Combined with the blank look she had been throwing at him, Yusuke had to admit the window had looked pretty damn good. He tried to pretend the events that occurred after didn't happen, because damn it if he didn't cringe when he thought of it.

Doggie hugs were officially added onto his Never-Do-Again list. God he felt like such a pussy. He should have just let her cry, she would have gotten over it soon enough. Besides, he's pretty sure that she hadn't even realized the blobs of salty liquid were even running down her face. He should have just ignored it - saving damsels in distress was Kuwabara's thing, not his. When he did summon up the courage to look back though, he recognizes that it wasn't so much the tears that got to him. It was the hollow expression on her face, the emptiness in her eyes, that twisted his gut into awkward knots. Her eyes weren't meant to look so lifeless.

So he had sacrificed one of his few remaining shreds of dignity just to try and fill the emptiness. Thankfully it worked, Yusuke hated to think how awkward it would have been if it didn't. As it was he was just glad that no one would know any better once he got his body back. So it was all good, incredibly weird, but good. Her nimble hands had played with his ears and, so close, he had realized that the floral scent he kept catching throughout the house was hers. Then she had to go and make the moment even more uncomfortable by comparing him to the flea bag that had her crying in the first place.

Yusuke didn't know the whole story, hell he didn't even know a quarter of it, but he knew himself well enough and he sure as hell wasn't anything like that scum bag. He made a lot of stupid mistakes and yeah, he could be a bit of an ass when it came down to it, but judging by the girl's mental breakdown whatever Dog Face had done was beyond jerk status. The spirit detective didn't really care what it was - he'd be hunting the dog down anyway for daring to cross the border.

Any additional information on the situation might make it harder for him to bring the mutt back to Koenma alive.

In the meantime, which he hoped was short, he decided to lay low and try to be the "good dog" the girl (and her sibling apparently) were asking him to be. It would be easier to stay with this crazy, but kind, family than get shoved over to the Puppy Police . . . and the girl obviously didn't need anymore on her plate. Plus if he played his cards right the boy would keep feeding him food under the table (he still refused to touch the dog chow) and the girl might let him keep sleeping on the bed . . . once she came back. In a week.

He groaned, shifting to lay down as he continued watching the building across the yard. Souta still stood next to him, bending at the knees to pet his head. "Don't worry boy, she'll be back before you know it!" Yusuke gave the boy a skeptical sideways glance which was ignored.

Mrs. H's voice materialized from the kitchen having apparently watched the entire scene. "Dear, he probably thinks Kagome is still in there." Yusuke's head turned, watching the older woman dry her hands on her apron while his grasp on the situation became more and more confused. He hadn't taken his eyes off that door, she _had _to still be in there. Hands now dry, she gestured to the front door. "Why don't you take him out and show him? Perhaps then he'll stop moping at the window."

Yusuke was _not_moping, but he held in a displeased growl for the sake of his sanity. Souta blinked before nodding, "Ok!" Quickly grabbing the leash off the bench he left it on, Yusuke soon found himself tethered to the kid's wrist. This time he didn't complain - he was already at the door, ready to prove them all wrong.

There was no way the girl snuck out while he wasn't looking. No. Way.

As the door opened Yusuke had to remind himself that the kid was the only one that would be feeding him scraps that night and resisted the urge to bolt. As it was he was the first one out the door, going as far as the cheap ass leash would let him without pulling the boy face first through the snow. At least the kid seemed to understand his sense of urgency, sprinting with him through the slush as soon as his boots were pulled on. It took them next to nothing to reach the wooden door but it still felt too long, and when Souta struggled to slide the door open on its nearly frozen track Yusuke didn't waste any time and shoved against it with his shoulder until it reluctantly came open with a metallic squeal.

Yusuke was sorely disappointed.

All there was were four bare walls, a floor, a ceiling, and (right in the center of it all) an old well. The lingering floral scent, though faint, told him she had been there but it lacked the dense quality that her room had. She had passed through, not lingered. In an instant the well's rim was digging into his elbows as he stared down the well.

Nothing.

A frustrated growl rumbled in his throat and died when he noticed something odd. There was no girl at the bottom (which may have been for the best - he certainly wasn't Lassie) but it wasn't exactly empty either. Scaling up one side was a worn out ladder and the same floral scent he'd come to associate with her. The discovery didn't exactly answer any of his questions, and he found himself staring into the shadowed depths for answers that weren't there when he felt the boys hand pat his head.

"See? Kagome's not here."

Oh, Yusuke saw all right but he didn't understand. He watched her enter without seeing her leave. There was no way for her to have escaped without him noticing, so how was it she wasn't there? Next to him Souta sighed, leaning against the well's rim and also looking down. For a second Yusuke thought he saw sadness pass through the boys features but it was quickly covered by a small grin.

"I tried to follow her once you know." He rested his chin on his folded arms. "But the well wouldn't let me through. It's only ever let Kagome and Inuyasha pass for some reason."

Yusuke's ears perked, attention fully captured by the boy's words even though they seemed to add to his confusion. But the kid seemed serious and Yusuke stared at the well's empty bottom once more. It looked normal enough, innocent enough, but if anyone knew that looks could be deceiving it was him. Was some kind of portal at the bottom of a well really the most unusual thing he had stumbled on?

. . . Well actually it kinda was, but it definitely wasn't _too _outrageous as far as Yusuke was concerned. For now he would take the kid at his word and assume the piece of ancient history had some kind of transporting power. After all, there wasn't exactly any other explanation for Kagome's disappearance. Plus it would explain the sudden appearance and disappearance of the dog demon - and how he managed to escape Spirit World's notice. He wondered though, if the well truly was some kind of portal entrance, where the exit was. Being that the dog demon was also popping through the rabbit hole, Yusuke could take a guess and it made is gut twist.

After all the Makai was no Wonderland, and it was definitely no place for a teenage girl to go wandering through.

**(:)(A)(:)**

_AU: Perhaps I should change the rating just for language . . . It's too hard to write Yusuke without a potty mouth. But don't they drop 'f bombs' in PG13 movies now? I just can't keep up with society's standards anymore._

Sorry the wait was a bit on the longer side and the material on the shorter. This whole wedding this is kicking my ass. Honeymoon has never looked so good. Going to Thailand for 2 1/2 weeks . . . I just want to be there now!


	8. The Target

_The more one gets to know of men, the more one values dogs.  
>-Alphonse Toussenel<em>

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<br>The Good Dog  
>Chapter #8<br>(:)(A)(:)**

* * *

><p>Kagome would never understand why water burned the moment it touched an open wound, but as Keade's gentle hands placed the soaked cloth onto her side she was given a sharp reminder that it did indeed <em>burn<em>. The remaining air in her lungs passed her clenched teeth with a hiss and the elder woman shushed her softly. "There, there now. It is not so bad. Ye have seen worse."

She was right of course. The angry red cut across her side and stomach was shallow enough that she didn't even need to concern herself with stitches. Considering the other injuries she had attained throughout the years, this was no more than a mild scratch. Still, she hadn't exactly developed the same level of pain tolerance the others had. So even though it was a relatively mild cut, it still hurt. Every time she moved the skin pulled and she received a nasty reminder of its presence. She would receive another nasty scar to add to the collection.

It was the rotten cherry on the already spoiled sundae.

For all their searching they hadn't found or learned anything about the jewel shards or Naraku. No rumors, no leads. Nothing. Which, quite frankly, made the wound on her right side sting all the more. Because really, they were forced into a battle for no reward. That nasty boar demon had stumbled on them out of no where and seemingly without a purpose . . . he hadn't even demanded the shards as demons so often did. She knew she should have just stayed home, even it it meant having to 'sit' Inuyasha into next Tuesday.

Soft footsteps padded towards her and Kagome craned her neck towards the huts door, not entirely surprised to see Sango wearing a concerned expression. Kagome smiled warmly at the older girl she had come to see as a sister. "Don't look so worried Sango, it's just a scratch."

Keade removed the wet rag and used her knarled fingers to scoop some dark green salve from the stone bowl at her feet. "Aye, just a shallow cut. Still, ye will want to give it time to heal before setting out again." Gingerly, she covered the cut until it couldn't be seen under the green paste. Kagome sighed as it cooled her irritated flesh.

Sango nodded, softly petting the small cat demon perched on her shoulder. "I agree with Kaede. It may not be a major wound but it is deep enough to make a point to be careful not to reopen it . . ." She kneeled next to Kagome's sprawled body, knees almost touching the futon. "I think you should stay home at least a -" her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to remember the term she had heard the other girl use so often, "a week?"

Kagome smiled and nodded, letting the demon slayer know that she had used the futuristic term correctly. "Can't say that doesn't sound amazing. I'm a little anxious to see if Souta found Dog's home yet." Sango nodded, having heard the entire story about the canine that had managed to stumble into the young girl's life. While everyone else had seemed baffled by her apparent attachment to the mutt, she and Shippo had looked at the situation with a level of understanding the others hadn't possessed. Kagome reached up and gave Kirara a scratch behind the ear, to which she mewled in pleasure. Sango and Shippo both knew how to take comfort from an animal. She sighed, "Inuyasha isn't going to let me go for that long though. I had to fight tooth and nail just to get him to let me stay last week."

Keade motioned her to sit up, white linen bandages sitting ready in her hands. "Don't ye worry about that child. I'll make it quite clear that you aren't to be disturbed."

Sango grimaced, her expression tightening so subtly that Kagome almost didn't see it as the elderly woman wrapped the her torso. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that." When Kagome frowned in confusion, the demon slayer opened her mouth to elaborate but was interrupted by the little fox demon who had chosen that moment so scurry in.

"She means Inuyasha is too busy sulking to drag you back," he chirped, hopping up onto Kagome's open lap. He sniffed at her partially wrapped wound, nose wrinkling in distaste at the smell of the medicinal salve. "Does it still hurt?"

Kaede huffed in annoyance, her work forced to a stop by the little kit's presence. "Move child, so I may finish dressing it." Shippo at least had enough decency to look sheepish, if just for a moment, as he moved from Kagome's lap to the futon to sit beside her.

Kagome ruffled his hair fondly. "It still stings a little bit, but it feels much better." He pushed her hand away half heatredly. His cheeks were pink with embarrassment, but she caught the small satisfied smile that curled the corner of his mouth before he remembered he was too old to enjoy that type of attention from her. She felt her heart sink a little in disappointment. The kit had always loved her coddling - and she loved giving it to him. But ever since Inuyasha had told him to grow up she could feel him struggling to be the mature child he wasn't. She wasn't sure she would ever be able to forgive Inuyasha for ripping away his childhood so soon. She turned to Sango, her soft smile having already faded into a frown. "So, why exactly is Inuyasha sulking?"

Sango fidgeted, fingers playing idly with the demon armor at her elbow. She hadn't yet received the opportunity to change since the battle. "He's blaming himself for you being hurt."

Her frown deepened, raising her arms a little higher to allow Kaede better access. "How could it have possibly been his fault?"

Again, Shippo spoke up before Sango could find her voice. "Because he didn't protect you good enough" he chirped, looking at her as if it was the most obvious thing ever. Kagome couldn't help but groan because it kinda was.

Kaede's experienced hands paused in tying the final knot in the bandage. "Ye all right child?"

Kagome shook her head, realizing that the elderly priestess was referring to the bandages. "No, no. The bandages are perfect. I just can't believe how stupid that man can be!"

She chuckled, obviously not needing any clarification on who "_that man_" was. Behind her Sango rolled her eyes with a smile, but remained silent. "He just cares child. Don't be too hard on him."

The priestess sighed, lowering her shirt to cover up her fresh bandages before standing up. "I know, I know. I just sometimes wish he'd find a better way of showing it." She glanced around the sparse room, her head tilted softly to the side when she didn't see what she was looking for. "Hey, have you guys seen my back pack?"

Sango nodded, her trained eyes following Kagome's movements carefully. "It's outside. Are you leaving now?"

She shrugged, wincing slightly when her wound pulled uncomfortably under the bandage. "I figured I should go talk to Inuyasha before going back. If I'm no use here I might as well go home and get going on finding Dog his home." She smiled, her eyes crinkling in the corners. "I'll bet you anything Souta hasn't even printed out those flyers since I left." She gave a small, respectful bow to Kaede, "Thank you for bandaging me up! I'm sure I would have made a mess of it had I tried it myself."

The old woman chuckled, her single eye regarding the girl warmly. "I'm sure ye would have managed. Now go home and rest child. I assume ye know where to find Inuyasha?"

One foot over the threshold with both Sango and Shippo ready to follow her out, Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes. "How could I not? He picks the same place to mope every time."

Kaede chuckled, beginning the task of cleaning up the extra rolls of linen. "I suppose that's true."

Kagome frowned as she watched the older woman place the wet rag she had used in the stone bowl. "Would you like any help?"

She received a pointed look for her efforts. "Child, you can help by going home to rest," she pointed to her wound, "and not destroy my hard work."

Holding her hands up in mock surrender, Kagome conceded. "Aright, all right. I'm going!" She gave Shippo a pointed look that clearly suggested he offer to help, to which he responded to after a delayed pause. Kagome smiled with pride as the kit scampered over to the elderly woman before stepping out of the hut, Sango following close behind

The sudden movement of purple cloth from the corner of her vision immediately drew her gaze to the left as she stepped into the afternoon light. Not terribly surprised that it was Miroku and not convinced by his innocent smile. "Ah, Miss Kagome! Feeling better I hope? I've heard from a reliable source that you will be going home."

She rolled her eyes. Didn't he know he was totally busted? "You mean you were eavesdropping."

For a moment he looked as if he would object but seemed to think better of it. "Well, in a manner of speaking, yes." He held up his covered hand defensively. "But only because I happened to be sitting here anyway."

Kagome saw Sango scowl from the corner of her vision. "And you've been sitting next to the hut for exactly what reason?"

The edge in the demon slayer's voice seemingly had no effect on the monk. "I was going to offer to escort Miss Kagome home as Inuyasha is currently . . . er, indisposed."

Sango scoffed, her words clipped. "I hardly think we can trust you to escort her anywhere." She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the monk firmly.

Miroku frowned, "I can assure you I am more than capable of bringing Miss Kagome home safely. I would not let her be harmed." When the slayer's demeanor only darkened pointedly he sighed, hand raising in promise. "Be it to her physical being or virtue."

To Kagome's amusement Sango still looked suspicious and she chuckled. "I'm sure he'll behave Sango. Lately it's only your butt that he's been grabbing any way." As her friend flushed and sputtered Kagome's smile widened, because it was true. Miroku had been giving the slayer his full attention for months now. And, though refraining from grabbing at other women was really only a small step, Kagome knew that for a pervert like him it took more will power than he let on. "Really Sango, I'll be fine. Take care of Shippo for me?"

Still red faced in her embarrassment, the slayer nodded stiffly. "Yes, of course." Kagome couldn't help but notice that she was making a point to look at her instead of the sheepish monk at her side.

Coughing awkwardly into his gloved fist, Miroku slung her oversized backpack over his shoulder (staggering only slightly with its wait), before gesturing in the wells direction. The rings on his staff jangled pleasantly with the motion. "Shall we then?"

There was a stiffness in his limbs that set off little warning bells in Kagome's skull but she nodded. Familiar now with the demon slayer's discomfort with physical contact - hugs weren't exactly the thing to do in the feudal era - Kagome settled with a friendly smile and a wave as she and the monk began walking. "Bye Sango! I'll see you next week!"

Her friend smiled back, waving back. "Take care of yourself Kagome!" Her expression darkened, eyes flitting to the monk pointedly, "Don't be afraid to ask for help!"

Kagome laughed, "I won't!" Beside her Miroku sighed, shaking his head and muttering under his breath about why the world was against him. She stifled a giggle behind her hand, "Come on Miroku, lets go find Inuyasha."

The stiffness that she had noticed earlier returned full force, though he remained silent until they reached the top of the hill that overlooked the village - where the paths to Goshinboku and the well diverged. "Miss Kagome, I would ask that you not visit Inuyasha quite yet." His expression darkened as he looked out over the forest. "I'm afraid we have some serious matters to discuss."

Kagome felt her heart sink a little. She didn't remember the hanyou having received any serious injuries but when she looked back she recognizes that she hadn't exactly looked for them either. Perhaps she missed something in the others rush to get back to Keade? "Inuyasha -"

Immediately the monk shook his head, "No, no. Rest assured it's nothing like that. Any injury Inuyasha sustained was very superficial and undoubtedly healed by now." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, still not meeting her eyes. "He's just in a terribly foul mood at the moment and I'm afraid any further discussion with him on this particular matter will only prove to make it all the worse."

She frowned, "Further discussion?"

He sighed heavily, starting down the trail that led to the well. "Unfortunately I made the mistake of bringing this matter up to him first. He . . . didn't take to it as well as I had hoped."

The crease between her eyebrows deepened but she followed him faithfully. Miroku was usually able to get through to Inuyasha on most matters. That Inuyasha was in a foul enough mood that the monk didn't even think it smart for her to say goodbye was concerning. "Meaning?"

"He told me I was wrong and started mauling an ill fated sapling." He slid her a look from the corner of his eye. "I found it wise to drop the topic there and find some ears that would be more willing to listen . . ."

Kagome made the choice to remain silent and was rewarded for her patience. He paused, turning to her fully. "Miss Kagome, have you noticed that you've been sustaining more injuries than normal?"

Kagome blinked, taken aback. She hadn't really noticed, but once she thought about it she realized that he was right. Granted she always came home with a scratch or two, but lately she had been on the receiving end of more nasty cuts and bruises than she typically would.

Seeing the thoughts running across her face and the growing dread widening her eyes, Miroku shook his head. "I really hope I'm wrong Miss Kagome - I truly do. But I fear that I'm not. The battles we've had in the past couple months . . . " he looked away, eyes downcast. "Miss Kagome, I think you are being targeted."

**(:)(A)(:)**

**Sorry for the wait folks, but I am glad to say that I am officially a married woman (and will therefore have no more wedding planning to distract me)! Thank you all for your well wishes, Thailand was fantastic (ice cream cone for 30 cents - how could I NOT love it)! My husband and I had a great time and even got to include elephant trekking into our schedule! We will definitely look back at our trip with fond memories!**

Now that we are back and life has started to resemble normal again, I'm excited to get cracking on this story! I know this chapter wasn't the most interesting, unfortunately it had to be written in order to set up the rest.

Thank you all for being so patient and understanding!


	9. The Bystander

_"A dog, I will maintain, is a very tolerable judge of beauty, as appears from the fact that any liberally educated dog does, in a general way, prefer a woman to a man." - Frances Thompson  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<br>The Good Dog  
>Chapter 9<br>(:)(A)(:)**

* * *

><p>Never, in his entire life, had a week dragged by so slowly. Not even those five consecutive days Keiko forced him to attend all his classes. School had sucked but, as he had come to find out, sitting around feeling useless sucked even more. That he didn't even have the luxury to bitch about it only made him even more irritated. Hell he would have even taken Keiko's lectures and gone to some stupid classes if it meant he could at least be <em>doing<em>something.

He missed her. Hell he missed the whole gang. Granted, in the past they had been separated for way longer than a week but he never really had the time like he did now to dwell on it. There had always been training or fighting to distract him. Now his hours were spent lazing around the Higurashi grounds. Sometimes he would harass the fat cat they called Buyo when the family wasn't looking, though that ended as soon as he found out the fur covered blob actually fought back. His nose stung for days and Mrs. Higurashi shook her head at him with amusement. She must have come to the conclusion that he had learned his lesson because she didn't kick him out of the house like he had worried she would. When the boy was home he would follow him around in an effort to do anything to stave off boredom - though he drew the line at fetching the sticks the kid threw. Some things just weren't worth giving up his dignity for. Though, he had to admit, watching the kid try to teach him the game of fetch had been one of the few highlights of his boring week.

Mostly he watched the well with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

Yusuke had never really understood what Keiko was blabbering on about when she said it was hard to watch from the sidelines. He was a fighter - a hero if he did say so himself (which he did). For nearly his entire life he had been a man of action and, in the last couple years, a man of power. Now he was forced to wait, powerless, in hopes that the stupid girl would come out of the well house all in one piece. Watching and waiting was torture. He promised himself that he would never take Keiko's patience (at least regarding this) for granted again.

Though being forced into the role of bystander did have one advantage. Grudgingly, he admitted that when he couldn't talk he had no choice but to listen. So, since he didn't have anything better to do anyway, he kept his ears open with a patience that Kurama would have been proud of. The Higurashi family didn't disappoint. He found out that they did indeed know the dog demon and what he was - and apparently had absolutely no problem with Kagome associating herself with him.

The most bizarre information came from the old man. Interesting meaning that most of what came out of the man's mouth was as farfetched as you could get. He preached all day to visitors about a sacred jewel that could grant anyone possessing it their greatest desire and then proceeded to lecture anyone who was still listening about how the Higurashi shrine was where the jewels last guardian had resided and died in her duty. Then, like a true business man, he would take out a bunch of plastic pink marbles and sell the worthless pieces of junk as 'good luck' charms.

At first, Yusuke came to the conclusion that the old guy was smarter than he looked and actually had some sense. Then he pulled a mummified hand out at dinner one night, ranting about warding off bad spirits and Yusuke, exasperated, realized the old coot actually believed everything he was saying. Which, really, didn't make too much sense in Yusuke's mind. For all he ranted and raved about warding off demon spirits he sure let them have free reign when it came to his granddaughter.

The most useful information came from Souta. Like his sister, he tended to blabber on about his thoughts. As such, Yusuke heard a lot about what was on the young kids mind. Right after Kagome disappeared it had mostly been useless information. Talk about soccer, the homework assignments he was frustrated with, and the girl at school he kinda, maybe, sorta liked. But as the end of the week drew closer the more the kid talked about his sister and the more Yusuke was convinced that the well really was a portal to the Makai. Because if you took out all the idolistic hero worship nonsense about his sister saving the world (which, in the kid's defense, she very well may have been feeding to him to keep him happy), you got stories about a girl in a world of demons.

He could handle the crap about Kagome slaying demons, it was annoying, but at least it helped the kid sleep at night or whatever. What really got under his skin was the way the kid talked about the dog demon like he was the eighth (or was it ninth? He couldn't bother to remember) wonder of the fucking world. It was always Inuyasha this, and Inuyasha that. Inuyasha saved Kagome millions of times and Inuyasha is the greatest sword fighter ever!

Yusuke wanted to kick his ass.

From what he saw from the window, he had originally thought the mutt seemed to be lacking in the brains department. But after seeing how he had the entire family fooled into thinking he was actually _protecting_their daughter instead of putting her in harms way, he was forced to reconsider. Fooling an old man and a kid was one thing, but Mrs. Higurashi? That woman was sharper than Hiei's blade. Every time the kid tried to sneak him some real food she would raise her brows knowingly. Every. Time. She always just . . . knew. Yusuke didn't doubt that nothing could get passed that woman when she was in the house. She could be a floor above him and she'd know he tried to sneak into the pantry. Which is why, her acceptance of the mutt was so disturbing. Yusuke couldn't imagine her being fooled by some dog demon low life, but that fact was that she seemed to have taken the dog's rotten bait. She trusted him to bring her daughter home safe.

Thinking about it brought a sour taste to his mouth. Unfortunately, since he was constantly being reminded of her absence, that taste was there more often than not and it only worsened his already crapy mood. Combine that with the anxiety of not knowing whether the girl was going to be coming back _at all_ and, well, it's no wonder that his he found himself jumping every time the damn front door opened. So it was more than a bit ironic that the one time he _didn't_look (he was sick of putting the energy into checking) it actually was her.

It was the sound of her yellow backpack hitting the floor was his first clue that it wasn't the old man coming in from cleaning one of the storage sheds. The second was the soft sigh that he could still manage to hear from the other room - not that he was listening, of course. But it was those two things that made him get up from the comfy spot he had made himself on the living room floor with the hope that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have gotten up for nothing (again). For the first time he wasn't disappointed. She looked exhausted standing there leaning against the door, but when she saw him her tired expression seemed to brighten marginally. "I had I feeling you were still going to be here when I got back." She chuckled, reaching to scratch him behind the ears, "It's good to see you boy. Even if it does mean that I most likely need to scold my brother for not putting signs up like he was suppose to."

Indeed, Souta had not put up the signs like he was supposed to. The kid had used every excuse in the book (including throwing away a new ink cartridge so he could claim that the printer wasn't working) to make sure Yusuke didn't go anywhere. Yusuke would be lying if he said he hadn't been at least a little impressed by the kid's determination.

In the kitchen the sound of running water and clinking dishes paused abruptly followed by Mrs. Higurashi's soft inquiry, "Kagome, dear is that you?" When Kagome exclaimed that it was, Mrs. Higurashi was there in an instant, her heeled feet clicking. When she appeared around the corner, relief was etched onto her features as she held her daughter at arms length and her sharp eyes seemed to detect no injury. She embraced her tightly around her shoulders, "You're a day early, I thought ..."

Kagome returned the hug softly. "It's ok Mama I'm fine. There weren't any leads so I came back." When her mother pulled away she smiled brightly. "Actually, unless anything major comes up I'll be staying home for this week!"

Mrs. Higurashi's eyebrows rose, "Really? That was generous of Inuyasha." From the floor Yusuke scoffed.

Kagome seemed to of the same opinion. "Yeah right! Miroku and Sango had to convince him."

They talked like women always do - about everything and anything. While Mrs. Higurashi explained to her daughter that it might be best if she stay home from school that week (Gramps had told the school that she had mono to Yusuke's great amusement) he watched the girl carefully. At first glance she seemed fine; she smiled like normal and , definitely, talked like normal. Something though . . . . something was off. It took him a couple minutes before he finally realized what it was. She _moved _differently. The Kagome he had met a week before was energetic and full of exaggerated hand gestures; now she held still, hands clasped in front of her stomach as she chatted. Somehow he didn't think it was just a coincidence. If he had lips instead of jowls he'd be frowning.

His suspicions were confirmed when Souta bounded down the stairs and embraced his sister around the waist with enthusiasm. Maybe it was because Yusuke was watching for it, but he seemed to be the only one to notice the flash of her pained grimace before she hid behind her fake smile. She ruffled the kid's hair, the picture of sisterly affection and asked how his week was while Yusuke watched from the sidelines - his mood worsening with every one of her forced smiles - and wondered how only he seemed to notice the way her hand protected her side. With the position of her hand, Yusuke assumed that she must have had some kind of rib injury, probably bruising since she didn't scream bloody murder when the kid attacked - er, that is, hugged her. So when he caught a whiff of something familiar and metallic it took him a good couple seconds to realize the reason why he recognized the scent.

It was blood.

It was so strong that his eyes shot to her side expecting to see the coppery red liquid bleeding across her stomach, but when he looked he didn't see any. He realized the smell was only overwhelming (really, the last time he smelled blood so strongly had been at the last tournament) because of his own senses. Still, he knew there was enough that she must have had it bandaged up somehow for it not to be staining her shirt. Souta had managed to give himself a paper cut doing homework just a few days ago and it had hardly bothered the spirit detective. This though, this bothered him. A lot. Partially, he realizes, because it's coming from her - a school girl who was just way in over her head. These things were different when it came to people like her. Blood didn't bother him when it was his own or his opponent's (whoever the unlucky bastard may be). They were warriors, fighters, and (in their case) criminals. They signed up for the blood shed. But Kagome? Shit, it may as well have been Keiko bleeding in front of him.

She was innocent. He'd only met her a week ago, only two days of which that he actually spent time with her, but if he knew anything about the girl it was that. Guilty people didn't take mutts off the street or save them from the puppy police; and they sure as hell didn't go to the lengths that she did to help him. They just _didn't_. She was too kind and too selfless to deserve the pain she was feeling. Kagome Higurashi was a victim and it turned his stomach to know that, because what the hell was he suppose to do about it? He was just a useless figure on the sidelines. He wondered if this was how Keiko felt when she had watched him bleed all over the Dark Tournament's arena.

The thought made his stomach clench unpleasantly and he spent the next few hours with the smell of Kagome's blood as a constant reminder of his new status as nothing but a bystander. Like Kagome, he tried to act as normal as possible (because even as depressed as he was, there was no way in hell he was going to give them any kind of excuse to take him back to that nut job vet). He took scraps from Souta when he offered them under the table and trailed Kagome like he was her shadow just in case something happened. Plus, well, that's what dogs were suppose to do right? The rest of the family seemed to think it normal enough at least, he even caught Mrs. Higurashi's sighed concern to Gramps that he was getting too attached. Yusuke scoffed but didn't stop shadowing the teenager until it was finally time for the girl to go to bed.

For the first time since he arrived, Yusuke watched her undress.

He was prepared to see the large bandage covering her side and even the long gash that was underneath it. His new sense of smell, as inexperienced as he was with it, told him what to expect. But as she lifted her shirt over her head, Yusuke realized that nothing could have really prepared him for the scars. It wasn't that she _covered _in them, but the scars that were there were deep. Opposite of her fresh wound there was a large star shaped grouping of scar tissue that, when he looked at it, Yusuke could determine to have come from some kind of demonic bite. On her upper arms were a set of five punctures, her back a series of gashes pale against her skin. Yusuke watched in growing horror as they revealed themselves one by one, unable to look away until she had redressed. She hissed as she climbed into bed, but still managed to give him a sincere smile and a goodnight before turning her lamp off.

Yusuke slept on the floor that night, her occasional pained groans fueling his rage filled thoughts well after the sun broke the horizon. Next time he saw him, the dog demon was as good as dead.

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

AN: So I have made the personal goal to write 500 words a day, no matter what it is I write about. I made this goal two weeks ago and would be lying if I said I hadn't fallen off the wagon a day or two but overall it's going quite well. At the moment I have four projects going on: this story, Seven Sins, an original story, and (can you believe it) another Kurama/Kagome fic in the works.

Sometimes I really wish my brain would just shut up and wait for one project to finish before obsessing over another one. Unfortunately when the inspiration bug bites it bites _hard_. Don't know for sure when it will be posted, but it will most likely be after I've finished Seven Sins. So if you're a Kur/Kag fan, keep an eye out!

And of course, thank you so much for all the lovely reviews and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter! Have a happy Monday!


	10. A Confidant

_"They [dogs] never talk about themselves but listen to you while you talk about yourself, and keep up an appearance of being interested in the conversation."  
>- <strong>Jerome K. Jerome<strong>_

**(:)(A)(:)  
>The Good Dog<br>Chapter #10  
>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

The next two days passed relatively quickly for Kagome with the help of 21st century pain killers. Without them she had no doubt that she would have been reduced to an unproductive blob on the couch the entire week. But with a little help from her friend Ibuprofen she was able to accomplish what she needed to or, rather, what her younger brother had _failed _to do.

Posting posters hadn't been her ideal mini vacation but she was glad to say it went better than she had hoped. Dog, shockingly, proved that he really could be well behaved when he wanted to be. Exactly **why **he wanted to was a bit of a mystery to her, but she suspected it wasn't because he had a change of heart. Maybe he sensed her pain, or maybe spending a week with Souta just wore him out. Regardless of the reason, Kagome was thankful that he walked obediently by her side without qualms. And she'll admit she was impressed (aka shocked) when a middle aged woman walking her (very female) Akita passed right in front of them and Dog didn't even turn to look. Funny enough, he seemed to be staring at the crosswalk sign, waiting for it to change to 'walk'.

He was a weird dog. Yet, Kagome would be lying if she said she didn't feel a certain amount of anxiety every time the phone rang or relieved every time when it wasn't someone calling for a missing dog. She suspected that his recent good behavior wasn't helping her remain unattached either. Then again, it's hard for her to remember a time when she really wasn't attached - he had kinda managed to wiggle his way into her life without her noticing how much she really appreciated him being there. Dog was weird all right, but he was also ... Special.

He felt like a friend.

He couldn't talk of course but, really, she just needed someone to listen. Somehow that quality seemed to be in a shortage on her side of the well - her 'friends' lack of listening skills was well on its way to driving Kagome into hiding (she was actually thankful for Grandpas over zealous disease excuse for once). It was just nice feeling like she had someone on her side for once. Plus, it always helped when a friend could deter all the jerks out there. She hadn't been blind to the fact that people gave her a much wider berth when Dog was beside her. The one guy who was brave enough to approach her got a growl for his trouble. Needless to say he didn't bother her long.

She had found it funny at the time. It was endearing how he was protecting her (in a very similar manner as a certain hanyou she knew). And having the crowd part for you? Yeah, she could definitely get used to that. She certainly made it home in record time. Still, even with his good behavior, the trip was tiring and she was relieved when she finally made it up to her room.

Mama and Souta were downstairs, the later of which having been forced to sit down and do his homework while their mother started dinner for that night. When she looked out the window she would occasionally see Grandpa meandering around the grounds. Behind her, on the foot of her bed (she had since given up on enforcing that particular rule), Dog napped while she toiled over a particularly difficult math problem. A throbbing headache was developing in her right temple and she slid the sleeping canine a glare whenever he gave an exaggerated snore.

If he didn't seem to be legitimately sleeping she would have sworn he did it just to spite her.

Sighing, she reluctantly returned her attention to the make up work that had been neglected for the past week while she was away (sometimes she really wished Hojo would be a little less diligent in bringing her missed assignments). Pouring over her book, she was desperately trying to understand the equation in front of her when she heard her grandfather's voice filter through her window. He must have found himself an unlucky audience because the familiar story of the Shikon no Tama reached her ears as clear as a bell and caused her pen to still on the lined paper as she listened.

She's heard it probably a million times since she was a girl; enough to know her Grandfather's every upcoming word and gesture. Two years ago, before she fell into the well, she had heard it so many times she had stopped listening whenever he told it. Now, she couldn't stop. It was the same story she had heard as a girl, down to the the very last word, but now it rang with truth. Ever since she fell into the well the old story became more than just a family fable; it became history.

Her history.

Out of habit, her hand reached for the jewel shards around her neck, her fingers suddenly itching to feel the smooth glass vial. Pulling it from under her pink sweater, she stared at their spoils of the last two years and sighed because it just didn't seem like enough. She knows that each shard contains an immeasurable amount of power, she's been on the receiving end too many times _not _to know, but sometimes when she looks at them, a handful of tiny shards in a vial, she still can't wrap her mind around the fact that something so tiny could cause so much damage.

Unconsciously her other hand fell to her injured side and Miroku's last words with her came to mind. If he was right, and she had the sinking feeling that he was, then she'd be seeing more damage of the personal variety. It made her apprehensive, knowing that she was being made a target, but she knew Inuyasha would protect her every way he could. He always had after all. Whether he liked what Miroku had to say or not, whether he denied it or not, she knew that the idea would have lodged in his brain. He would be paying extra close attention in the upcoming weeks.

She just prayed that it would be enough.

Something tight lodged in the base of her throat and she tried, unsuccessfully to swallow it down. She chastised herself, shaking her head. Inuyasha wouldn't let anything happen to her - he's always been able to keep her safe. She shouldn't doubt him now. Except, the stinging of her side reminds her that "safe" isn't really the right word. She's been injured plenty of times, some of them serious and some of them not so much. He's kept her alive though, her hanyou. For two years he's made sure she made it back home. He's never failed her in that regard.

A year ago, she thinks, she had followed him with an overflowing abundance of faith. She believed in him; his strength, his will. She still did, really. But the last year has taught her that sometimes those things aren't enough. All it takes is one slip, one mistake, for those qualities not matter. The battle isn't always won by the strongest or the smartest. Sometimes, it's just luck.

Kagome knew without Keade telling her that had the demon's claws slashed her just _that _much deeper, if he had been an inch closer, she wouldn't have made it back. She would have bled out right there on the battlefield. Inuyasha would have had to tell her mother that her little girl was dead . . . and damn it all, but that image hurt her more than the thought of dying.

A year ago she probably wouldn't have even acknowledged how close to death she really was. A year ago she would have brushed it off, because she was the good guy - the plucky heroine - and they never die.

She wasn't the same naive little girl that had tried to rescue her obese cat at the bottom of the well anymore. She knew better now. Heroes die everyday and bad things happen to good people. It was only strength, wit, and luck that kept their little group alive. Someday, eventually, luck wasn't going to be on their side.

From her window she heard Grandpa wrapping up his story, telling of how Kikyou fought and died in her final battle. Almost without thinking, she whispered the last words as he said them, "And so with her dying breath the great priestess ordered the villagers to destroy the sacred jewel along with her body, so that it may never cause pain and suffering again."

She sighed, still staring at the vial between her fingers as Grandpa tried to convince the visitor to buy a trinket. "If only she had succeeded." So many lives would have been spared, so much pain would have been avoided. "But then . . ." she would never have met her best friends. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou . . . she wouldn't have even known their names if it wasn't for the jewel. And, maybe it's selfish of her, but knowing them makes all the pain and sadness seem worth it. She shook her head, a bittersweet smile on her lips and determination building within her. "Some things happen for a reason. I just have to keep believing. We'll get through it. We'll make sure we get through it."

She's not sure what brought her attention to him, maybe he had made a noise, but her attention was suddenly focused on the black lab that had suddenly made an appearance at her side. She raised her eyebrows mockingly, "Have a nice nap? Hope my bed was comfortable enough for you." He made a soft sort of huff that definitely gave the impression that he heard her, but his attention wasn't focused on her at all. At first she thought he was staring past her, but when she followed his line of sight there was nothing really that would capture his interest - just a bare corner. She frowned, letting the vial of shards drop against her chest as she reached over to pet him only for her hand to pause halfway there.

His eyes had followed the movement of the shards.

For a still, breathless moment she sat staring at him, unsure of how to proceed. Did the shards affect animals? She remembers that she had caught Buyo playing with them a few times, but she had always thought the cat just liked the sound of the shards tinkling against the glass container. Surely if it was anything else she would have come home to more than just a hyperactive fur ball. The image of a rabid, elephant sized Buyo eating her mattress crossed her mind and she quickly shook it off as ridiculous. But still . . .

Lifting the chain over her head, Kagome watched closely as Dog followed every swing of the vial. She licked her lips nervously, tightly holding the shards in her fist as she brought them closer to his eye level. "Ok Dog, whatever you do. Please, please, _please_, do not eat them." For the first time his eyes lifted to meet hers, his head tilted and his eyes narrowed. It was an expression that Kagome happily interpreted as a '_why the fuck would I do that?'_. She gave a short, nervous laugh. "Right. That was stupid." She swallowed, slowly opening her hand in front of his nose.

He was so focussed on it Kagome felt the need to remind him again. "Seriously though, don't eat it." He huffed in response, his eyes never leaving the purple shards. For a tense two minutes they remained completely still, him seemingly entranced and her ready to pull the shards away at any moment, when the long black hairs on the back of his neck began to stand on end and a soft growl rumbled in his throat. Kagome would be lying if she said she didn't feel her heart stop. For one panic filled moment she thought he was going to grab them. She had never felt more relieved when he began stepping away from it instead.

Apprehension gone, her body sagged in the chair with a sigh. "It's ok boy, it's all right." She stared at the shards in her hand for a few moments, her mind circling. Why was it that it seemed to effect Dog but not Buyo? She glanced over at the dog. His hair was still raised on the back of his neck and shoulders but he had stopped growling. He was still staring at the hand that held the shards. She loved her cat but she'd be stupid to think Buyo was more intelligent than the dog in front of her, because Dog **was** smart. Really smart. She frowned, bringing her lower lip between her teeth. In this case he was _too _smart. On some instinctual level he must know that the shards were trouble. She wished she had been blessed with such instincts.

Kagome sighed, slipping the silver chain over her head and tucking the glass vial out of sight underneath her sweater. She held her empty hand out between them, "Come on Dog. It's ok, I promise." Slowly, he inched forward, eyeing her sweater warily. Still, he made it to her side and Kagome quickly rewarded him by massaging the base of his floppy ear. "That's a good boy," she whispered. He huffed indignantly but, Kagome noted wryly, he didn't move away from her hand. She slid off her chair to join him on the carpet, her hand moving from his ear to scratch his chest. It was kind of funny, she thought, when she sat cross legged they could sit eye to eye.

She's not sure exactly why - maybe it was the curious tilt of his head, or the intelligence she saw in his expressive eyes - but she felt a sudden, intense urge to confess everything. Because no one, not even her family or her friends, knew the extent of what she felt. How useless she felt in the midst of battle with a bow that she would never be able to wield as well as Kikyou, or how hopeless and naive she felt when she watched Inuyasha run to the dead shell of a woman that had stolel part of her soul. No one knew how scared she was every time she went through the well, how scared she was that she wouldn't make it back home. Or how terrified she was that she'd go back to the feudal era only to find that everyone she loved was gone. No one knew because how do you tell the people you love that you're afraid of dying - afraid of death? She couldn't, too much depended on her. She had to be strong, for everyone's sake. But . . .

She swallowed thickly, Dog's brown eyes staring into her own quizzically. "When I was fifteen Souta thought Buyo got stuck in the bottom of the well . . ."

But Dog would listen, never telling the world her secrets.

**(:)(A)(:)**

AN: To anyone who has already read the update on my profile - I lied. I popped some ibuprofen and got some shit done (seeing the last update date for this story made me irritated). So here it is. For those of you that did not see the update on my profile, here's the scoop.

I have tendonitis. Which means it hurts to type or do anything computer related, hence the tardiness of this chapter. I believe I have it back under control. I've been wearing braces but prolonged computer use still hurts - hence the ibuprofen today. So hopefully the next chapter won't take nearly as long.

I am also in the process of selling my home. If this offer goes through then that means I need to be out of here by November 30th. Which means packing. Quickly. So, probably best not to expect an update before then.

I'm getting a lot of questions asking when (and if) Yusuke will be turning back into his normal self. Rest assured, I'm not so cruel as to keep him in dog form forever (this **is** a Yusuke/Kagome story after all). However I'm going to let you know now that we have a long way to go before that happens. Like, a _long _way. We got a lot to get through before he gets to change back. Remember back in the first chapter when I said that this story could end up being ten chapters or it may end up being thirty? Well, being that this is the tenth chapter I think we can safely say that we will be looking closer to thirty.

Also, that Kagome/Kurama fic I was talking about? It's out. First chapter is up and I will be working on the next chapter this week now that I have this story updated.

As always thank you for all the lovely reviews, you guys went above and beyond this last chapter and it really did help motivate me to get this out to you guys! I only ask for your patience in the next month or so as I get my shit sorted.


	11. Whispers

_"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog." - Dwight D. Eisenhower_

**(:)(A)(:)**

**The Good Dog**

**Chapter #11**

**(:)(A)(:)**

It's true. Holy fucking shit, it's true.

He looked for anything that would disprove her story but only ended up seeing all the little things to support it - the kid's insistence that his sister was out saving the world, the old man's hypocritical acceptance of Inuyasha's presence, . . . the way Mrs. H took extra time to wash the dishes so that she could watch the well house from the kitchen window. It all pointed to the same thing.

It was true. All of it was all true.

He had been criticizing the family for being idiots since he got there when the truth was that they knew all to well what kind of danger Kagome faced every time she jumped into that well. Duty told them to step aside, Kagome had to set things right - she had to fix the jewel she broke. The future - shit, the _present_ - depended on it. Still, he liked the thought of her going five hundred years into the past even less than when he had thought it was the Makai she was visiting. At least the Makai had some semblance of order, especially now that Lord Enki had taken over. But the world that Kagome had described . . . there was no order, no rules, and (what scared him the most) no limits to how large the large the demon population could be.

Did Koenma know about this? He would have to right? It was a fucking time portal. Surely Spirit World couldn't be _that_ oblivious. They had to be keeping tabs on her or something - wasn't the whole saving the world thing the kind of stuff they liked to keep up with? Not to mention the whole dangerous artifact issue. That piece of fucking rock probably wouldn't even be safe in Koenma's most highly guarded vault.

That jewel called to youki - he had the luxury of figuring _that_ out before the girl's tell all.

When he had heard her pen stop on the paper his curiosity had been peeked - she had been going at it steadily for over an hour - and then she was just staring at that little glass vial around her neck. He had thought for a second she had lost it when she didn't see him sit next to her and started talking to herself. It wasn't until he realized that she was mimicking the old man's words that he realized she had been listening to her grandfather rehash the story about the jewel and the miko that he had only heard about twenty times while she was gone.

Then he saw what she was holding.

A little glass vial was perched between her fingers, small pink shards of stone shimmering behind the glass. It was the color that captured and kept his attention - he hadn't seen pink since he'd been turned. He glanced around the girl's room, searching for the color he knew was there, but was still only greeted with varying shades of brown with an occasional pop of blue. He squinted, thinking his mind was playing tricks on him, but the shards remained an undeniable light pink.

He stared harder, trying to figure out why the hell some measly pieces of rock would break through the spell the witch had cast on him. The longer he looked, the stronger his focus became. Something moved under the jagged pink surface, perhaps just a broken reflection, but it made him step closer; search harder. Dimly, he heard Kagome's voice but the sound was muffled and distant and he couldn't bring himself to break his focus on the shards between her fingers. Entranced, he continued watching, waiting with heavy breath for something to move beneath the pink surface. The vial swung on a chain and his senses followed the flashing reflected light and his ears sharpened as the tinking against the glass rang out like a song. In the residual, lingering sound he thought he heard a coaxing whisper.

Kagome's voice somehow broke through his absorbed concentration. "Please, please, please, do not eat them."

Eat them? Focus partly broken he glanced up at her, wondering why the hell he would try to swallow rock. She gave a nervous laugh, mumbling about how that was stupid before her hand opened under his nose. So close, he knew he wasn't imagining things. Something was there - something swirling behind the pink jade that beckoned him closer; closer. There was a whisper of promised power coaxing and filling his ears, anything he desired he could have it. They could give it. It would be so easy.

The swirling beneath the jade surface grew until it became an image that flashed as vivid as a memory across his vision. Him, a human him, standing tall and proud - body cackling with an energy the world has never seen. People, demons, and Gods all bowed, marveling at his power. At his feet was a broken, crumpled body of a girl, her blue gaze glassed over and her pale bloodless lips moving around words that were not her own.

He had reeled back in a mixture of horror and fury, the image of her deadened eyes burning into his memory as a growl ripped through his throat. He didn't know what the hell it was at the time, but he knew without a doubt that it was something he wanted to stay far away from. "_Kill me, destroy me and it will all be yours_" it had whispered through the image of Kagome's deadened mouth. As if he would ever trade in the life of anyone, let alone Kagome, for its rancid power.

Only, now that he knows what those shards of pink jade actually were, he realizes that while most of him had recoiled in horror there was this tiny part of him that didn't. It was the demon, so small that he hadn't even felt it until a year ago, that had been intrigued, tempted, by that vision of power. It was miniscule, but it was there. The knowledge terrified him.

She had left the next day, yellow back pack full of supplies he suddenly understood the need for and a smile on her lips that didn't fully mask the sad acceptance he now recognized behind her blue irises. Before he had assumed she was going to the Makai. Now, knowing the truth, he wished he had been right. The Makai was dangerous but this - what she had described to him - was worse. So, so much worse. He realized with a sinking gut that if he felt the jewel's pull when he had less than an ounce of demonic blood running through his veins then the pull must be so much stronger, so much more tempting to those with a higher concentration of demonic youki.

He wondered if the jewel showed everyone the same vision. As horrible as it was, he kinda hoped it did. The thought that such an image was encouraged by a part of him, no matter how small, was sickening. For the jewel to have customized the vision for him would be devastating. For the next two weeks, while Kagome saved the world in the past, he was consumed by the thoughts that inevitably came with the jewels seductive whispers. He'd never had to evaluate himself before - not like this. He's always been a bit of an ass but in all his life he would never imagine taking any kind of pleasure from an innocent girls death.

The demon did.

Even if it was just a byproduct of the power he could gain, the demon didn't have any remorse for the lifeless girl in the vision. And, even though the demon made up only the smallest part of him, it was still _him_. Even though his humanity far outweighed and far out powered the demon, Yusuke couldn't help the disgusted turn of his stomach whenever he thought of it. For the first time since discovering his demonic ancestry, Yusuke resented that part of his heritage, because even though he would never act on such urges the fact that the urges were there to begin with made him question and doubt himself.

He was a hero - a good guy. He had saved the world _multiple_ times. If anything qualified him for a "good guy badge" it would be that. He'd saved millions of people, but . . . could he really consider himself one of the good guys if he entertained, even if it was just for a second, the thought of hurting an innocent girl? And for power of all things?

His moral compass didn't point as strongly as Kuwabara's - Kuwabara had a set of moral rules he lived and breathed by; roads he refused to stray from and lines he would rather die than cross. Yusuke had morals, he knew the difference between right and wrong. But his rules were more like guidelines and the road he followed tended to bend and turn in certain places. Lines were just marks in the dirt with caution signs saying "Don't Cross". Still, even without Kuwabara's strict moral code Yusuke couldn't help but feel that the small amount of demon blood running through his veins may have cost him.

Good guys shouldn't have those kinds of temptations. His demon blood wasn't an excuse - because he refused to make excuses for this. It was a weakness. One that he was determined to make sure never saw the light of day again. There were too many questions, too many nightmarish possibilities, for him to simply go on in life and ignore it.

What if he hadn't been four legged - if he had been his normal self? Would the jewel have succeeded in seducing him? Would it have successfully drawn out that tiny bit of youkai and brought the worst of him to the surface? Would he have taken that vial around her neck without even a second thought?

Would he have tried to hurt her?

They were questions he never wanted to know the answer to and yet he found himself obsessing over them the entire two weeks the girl was gone. He went through the daily motions - scrounging for scraps at mealtime and taking the customary walk with Souta in the afternoons - but the moment he was idle (which, unfortunately, was more often than not) he was plagued by possibilities and his own self doubt. It wasn't until the girl - the priestess - came home that his mind was finally put to rest.

Her legs were criss-crossed with long smudges of dirt and all the bleach in the world probably wouldn't revive her white blouse, but overall she seemed uninjured other than a nasty bruise on her right knee. She dropped her yellow back pack and pushed her tangled hair away from her face with an irritated huff. Something regarding modern plumbing was mumbled crankily under her breath, but when she spotted Yusuke her face lit up into a relieved smile. "Boy am I glad to see you!" She knelt on her undamaged knee and scratched his ears, "I was worried that your owner might have called while I was gone!"

It was at that moment that Yusuke knew that all of his anxiety for the past two weeks was for nothing. Seeing her smiling down at him . . . there was no way he would ever hurt her. Even with the jewels temptation he's confident that he would never let the demon override his humanity.

That night while she slept he stared at the vial of shards that slipped out from under her pajama top and willed himself to look. He needed to prove it to himself; he had to be sure that it didn't hold any power over him. The seductive whispers were more easily drawn out this time around, the mental voice slithering down his spine and making his hair stand on end. The sweet promises of power and prestige flowed without pause and without mercy. Images, not so unlike the one he had seen before passed before him with one major difference. Kagome wasn't there. The jewel had customized itself to his desires - they had felt his horror at the vision of Kagome's lifeless body and had modified these visions to draw him in.

The growl that had started as a low rumble in the back of his throat was quickly rising in volume as the whispers and images grew more insistent. It didn't take long for his anger to reach a boiling point and it only took a whispered _'Take it, take our power' _ for him to snap

**'Fuck you!' **

Abruptly the whispers, the visions, stopped. Kagome stirred in her sleep and Yusuke's growl quickly died down until only their breathing filled the quiet room. He waited suspiciously for the voices to return but even with his face only a mere foot away from the protective glass they remained silent.

They never came back.

**(:)(A)(:)**

_AN: I know it's been a while and a apologize. The house has sold and now we are searching for the next one . . . in the meantime we are staying with my parents in a 12X12 room that doesn't really fit our CA King bed too well. Here's hoping we find something soon - I underestimated how stressed out this whole process was going to be. _

_I'll try to update as often as possible but please be patient with me!_

_Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing! You keep me going in even the most stressful of times!_


	12. Maybe

_"Can we keep him? I'll get the food for him. I'll walk him. I'll change his newspapers..." -Russell from "Up"_

**(:)(A)(:)  
>The Good Dog<br>Chapter #12  
>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

Flakes of snow drifted slowly to the ground as Kagome watched from the warmth of the kitchen with her hands mindlessly drying the wet dishes her mother handed her. Outside she could hear Souta's shouts echoing across the yard as Dog tore across the yard. With the sun peeking out between clusters of snow filled clouds, it was the kind of weather that was ideal for this time of year. A small gust of wind sent some of delicate flakes swirling and Kagome couldn't help but smile. It was times like this - times when inside the warm house and hot cocoa a microwave away - that she loved winter. Judging by the way Dog had plafully knocked over her brother's half built snow man (twice), she concluded that he found at least some kind of enjoyment from it too. "You know," she started distractedly, effectively catching her mother's attention, "I've decided that I like snow a lot better in our time."

Mrs. Higurashi chuckled, handing her daughter a freshly scrubbed coffee cup. "I take it that the weather this last trip wasn't pleasant?"

"It stormed for the last five days," she hummed, hands pausing as she frowned at the snow falling outside, "Pretty sure it was a full blown blizzard actually - sure seemed like enough snow and ice for it." She shook her head and continued to dry her grandfathers favorite mug with a little more vigor. Memories of treading through drifts of snow half as tall as her - for nothing - made her blood run more hot than cold. "But hey, what do I know right?" She scoffed before grumbling unpleasantries under her breath, "Stupid Inuyasha."

Beside her Mrs. Higurashi smiled but said nothing as she worked on cleaning the last remaining egg pan from that morning's breakfast. "Well I'm glad you made it home safe."

Kagome paused in her vigorous drying, recognizing something in her mother's voice that unsettled her. Wisely, she let the subject drop and said no more about her adventures in the past as she set Grandpa's mug in its designated place besides the coffee maker. She wasn't sure when her grandfather's addiction to the dark caffeinated substance started - probably when she was gone in the past - but the whole family knew by now to tread carefully around the older man when he didn't get his cup of coffee in the morning. She smiled as she placed it on the counter, admiring the dark stains that no one could seem to get out. "Maybe we should get Grandpa a new mug for Christmas".

A soft smile curved her mother's lips as she gave have the pan a final scrub, "That would be a lovely idea dear." She dropped her sponge and turned the faucet on to warm as she rinsed off the suds, "Christmas is right around the corner, will you have time to pick it up or would you like me to pick one out for you?"

Kagome trained to ignore the pang in her chest at how flippantly her mother gave her an out of their traditional shopping trip they always took this time of year. She didn't want to be too busy for family traditions - for Christmas. Even if it was to save the world. She forced a smile, hoping it looked sincere enough. "I'll talk to Inuyasha. With the blizzard I don't think we will be able to do much shard hunting any way." And even if they were, Inuyasha could wait. She had sacrificed enough in the past to deserve the right of preserving their annual Christmas shopping tradition.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled, and Kagome felt some weight lift from her chest, "Well then I must admit I think I may like this winter weather a little more this year." She handed the now clean frying pan to her daughter, her eyes crinkled in the corners and a look of hope dwelling in her brown irises, "What about tomorrow? You aren't doing anything with your friends are you?"

She accepted the cookware eagerly, hands already set on drying, "Nope! Tomorrow would be great!" Actually she was suppose to meet the girls for hot chocolate and pastries down at their favorite sweet shop, but traditions and family came first. That's what the holiday was all about right? Family? The girls could wait for their latest bit of gossip. Besides, the look of happy relief that washed over her mom's face made the little lie totally worth it.

Smiling, the older woman focused on rinsing the remaining suds out of the sink. "Oh good! I really need help for Souta this year - I just can't keep up with what games are in and what isn't." She sighed, drying her hands on a towel, "Your generation is so exhausting to shop for."

Kagome hated to admit it, but _she_ didn't even know what was "in" anymore. Every time she came home she was reminded of exactly how out of touch she was. It seemed like every time she turned on the tv there would be a infomercial for some kind of gadget she had never heard of (Souta was always _so_ kind to inform her that it had been around for "ages"). And every time she talked to the girls some new superstar/stud had their face posted over all the teen magazines. The other day she had candidly mentioned in the car that she wondered how much concert tickets were to one of her favorite bands her mother had to tell her that they had been broken up for the past year. She was completely out of the loop. Idly, she wondered if this was what being old felt like . . .

Right. Best to kill that thought before it hit the tracks and she really got depressed.

She shrugged her shoulders, a secret smile playing on her lips. "Oh, don't think Souta wants anything from the electronics department this year." When her mother gave a questioning tilt of her head Kagome replied with a sheepish smile. Like most mother's, Mrs. Higurashi caught on quickly.

"Absolutely not."

Kagome gestured to the window where Souta and Dog could be seen playing some backwards version of chase in the snow. "But look how much Souta enjoys him!" She gave her mother a pleading look, "He's wanted a dog for so long . . . Letting him keep Dog would make this his best Christmas ever!"

Mrs. Higurashi sighed, rubbing her temple with delicate fingers. "Are you sure it's not just Souta who wants to keep him?" she asked, shooting her daughter a pointed look.

Busted.

She gave a guilty smile, "So he could be a present for both of us? Oh!" she waved her hands excitedly, "Then you would be done with half of your Christmas shopping!"

Judging by Mrs. Higurashi's frown Kagome guessed she wasn't quite as amused as she had hoped. "Kagome, dear, we talked about this."

"I know," she moped, picking up the wet pan she had abandoned on the counter with limp arms. "It's just - I don't know. He kind of fits in here ... Don't you think?"

Mrs. Higurashi leveled her with a skeptical stare.

"Ok so he is kinda weird for a dog -"

"He doesn't eat his dog food, the closest thing to playing I've seen him do is running away with Souta's controller, and when you're gone all he does is mope at the window." She counted each offense on her fingers before shaking her head, "Plus he harasses Buyo when he thinks I'm not looking."

Kagome blinked, "Really? He mopes when I'm gone?" Her heart melted a little and a awed smile spread across her face, "That's so cute!"

With an exasperated sigh Mrs. Higurashi took the now excessively dried pan from her daughter's distracted hands. "You're missing the point," she walked past Kagome to place the cookware in its appropriate cupboard, "When you brought him home we agreed that he wouldn't be staying." She reached behind her to untie the strings of her pink floral apron. "Now, it's been almost a month and no one's claimed him," she hung the clothing on its designated hook before folding her arms across her chest and giving her oldest child a no nonsense look, "I think it's safe to say we tried our best to find his owner. Since no one has come forward I think it's time to start looking for a new home for him."

Kagome chewed her lip thoughtfully. Mom was right of course - she had agreed that the next step would be finding a new home for him if they couldn't find his real owner. But Dog was really big - and not a lot of families had the amount of space they did on the shrine. There weren't going to be many families that could take him in, and the ones that could would most likely be too intimidated by his size (Lord knew she was). Which begged the question, "What if no one takes him?"

By the way her mother's lips thinned into a stern line, Kagome knew Mrs. Higurashi must have heard the underlining hope in that question. After a moment on tense silence the older woman leaned against the counter with a sigh, one hand reaching up to caress her temple. "If we can't find a home for him soon then I suppose we will have to consider taking him to the shelter -"

The horror that gripped her chest was instant, "Mom he'll die there!"

Her mother's words were clipped, but Kagome sensed the tiniest bit of guilt underneath her stern tone. "What else would you suggest Kagome?"

Wasn't it obvious? "Keep him!"

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head, exasperated, "Kagome ..."

Desperation was beginning to tighten her throat, " Look I know he's a little strange -" at her mother's flat look she conceded, "Ok, really strange." She licked her lips, giving her mother the most imploring look she could muster, "But he's still a **good** dog!" When Mrs. Higurashi looked ready to argue Kagome hastily continued before she had the chance to speak, "He is! And I know he doesn't do all the things that normal dogs do, but lately he's been my only real friend on this side of the well -"

"Kagome that's ridiculous," her mother interrupted, "What about the girls? Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi? And Hojo! That boy is constantly bringing schoolwork over for you! Not to mention all of those herbal remedies he brings from his parents shop."

"They're my friends too, it's just -" she struggled to find the right words, "They're friends with the Kagome that cares about teen magazines and boys and I'm just not that person anymore . . . I probably never will be again." For a moment she mourned the truth of that statement before shaking her head and pushing it, and the silence, away. "I fight demons on a monthly basis and shoot spiritual arrows with priestess powers that pretty much no one thinks exists," she took a steadying breath and hoped to God this little speech wouldn't come back and bite her in the ass, "That's a big part of who I am now, and they'll never know it. They _can't_ ever know it."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded slowly the worried lines in her forehead telling Kagome that, while she didn't really understand (how could she), she was trying. "And the dog can?"

Sensing her mother's skepticism she shrugged sheepishly, "Well, yeah. I can tell him anything and he'll just sit there and listen . . ." she paused, brushing a piece of stubborn hair behind her ear and feeling a bit childish, "I know it's crazy, but sometimes it even feels like he understands what I'm saying . . ."

Mrs. Higurashi remained silent, watching her daughter carefully. For a moment Kagome wondered if she should have just dropped the the subject. Then, as her mother sank into one of the kitchen chairs and gave an exhausted sigh , she thought that perhaps it would have been better to have never brought it up at all.

"If we haven't found him a home by Christmas I'll consider it."

A moment of stunned silence passed before Kagome's brain caught up to what her mother just conceded to. She didn't even try to hold back the girlish squeal that left her throat or the urge to hug her mother around her shoulders. "Thank you!" She kissed her cheek, "Thank so much!"

The older Higarashi sighed, tickling the dark hair on top of her daughter's head, but returned the hug. "Don't thank me yet dear, I only said I would consider it." She pulled away and age Kagome a pointed look, "And I still expect you to try your best to find another home for him."

She nodded eagerly, ready to agree to anything if it just meant there would be a chance her new found friend and confidant could stay. "Of course Momma, I promise I will!" She left another hasty kiss on her mother's cheek and bolted from the kitchen, socks slipping across the wood floors as she turned the corner and through open the coat closet with smile that just couldn't seem to leave her face.

From the doorway Mrs. Higurashi shook her head with both amusement and confusion as her daughter dove into the closet. "Dear, what are you doing?"

Fingers finally finding the fabric of her coat, Kagome threw it on hastily before reaching for her boots. "I'm going to go play in the snow!" She looked up from pulling the second boot onto her foot and graced her mother with a face splitting smile, "It's the perfect day for it!"

Looking out the window, her mother smiled. "I suppose it is."

Finally wiggling her heel into the rubber boot, Kagome's hand covered the door before pausing and looking back at the woman who had so patiently raised her and felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the heavy jacket spread through her. "Thanks again Mom."

Mrs. Higurashi waved her off, "Stop thanking me, I haven't decided," she grumbled before pointing a authoritative finger, "And don't tell your brother."

The smile never leaving her face, Kagome made a mock salute before opening the door and running out into the snow.

**(:)(A)(:)**

_AN: So Life is a bitch who likes to screw with me. The house hunt continues, the real estate market has been injected with steroids, and we are now buying off of my salary only so my husband can go to full time nursing school because the state can't seem to manage their community college system. That's my life in a nutshell right about now. And, while I'm supportive of the decisions we've made and are making, my heart's taking a little while to adjust to the loss of my potential forever home._

_Such is life (that stupid bitch)._

_On a brighter note, thank you everyone who has commented and left a review! Even on the most stressful of days they make my day just that much brighter! I've been really surprised/pleased by how much this story has grown in readers the past couple months. It's good to know that what I'm writing is being read by more than just a handful of people. So, thank you. All of you. For sticking with me even through the stress filled, unproductive, weeks. For you I have cranked this chapter out in two days (please, keep this in mind when reading over my undoubtable spelling/grammatical errors). And for you I will try my best to make sure the next update isn't in two months._

_Promise._

_EDIT: Getting a lot of questions on this so I figured I'd answer. The Yu Yu gang will be making an appearance in their own chapter here soon (most likely in the next two or three). So we can have a look at what is going on with them. ;)_


	13. Hell Bitch

_"If your dog doesn't like someone you probably shouldn't either."  
>- Unknown<em>

**(:)(A)(:)  
>The Good Dog<br>Chapter #13  
>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

It didn't take long for Yusuke to figure out what was going on in the Higurashi household. Before the posters were being printed and Souta was rushing to the phone before his mother could get to it, Kagome had admitted to him in the darkness of her room that Mrs. H wanted to find a new home for him. At first he shrugged it off. What did he care? No matter where he went he was still a dog until he could figure out what the hell bitch did to him - **if** he ever figured it out.

But as he listened to her soft breathing in the quietness of her room he felt his chest constrict a little at the idea of leaving her. Which was stupid, because it wasn't like he could even help protect her. Every time she jumped into the well he just stayed at that stupid window not knowing if she was going to come back. And she was just so damn _good_ that the thought of her dying away from everyone she knew and loved made his stomach churn. Fuck, just the thought of her being hurt in general rattled his nerves.

Innocent people like her didn't deserve to live the life she did.

Maybe it would be better if he didn't stay here. If a nice normal family picked him up he wouldn't have to deal with the anxiety he had every time the girl left . . . But then they probably wouldn't talk to him they way she and the rest of the family did either - like someone instead of just _some dog_. He'd probably go ballistic after a week of only stressed one word commands (_siiit, staaay, goood_).

With his luck of things being away would probably just make him worry more. The days that Kagome was gone were awful, but every time she came home he felt a huge sense of relief. Somehow he knew that if he couldn't see her coming up those front steps and through the front door his stress levels would only go higher. Go figure.

So it was decided, that very night while Kagome slept, that he would work a little bit harder to impress Mrs. H. He could sacrifice just a little more of his pride (lets face it, at this point there wasn't enough left for him to ever be _proud_ again anyway). Sucking up wasn't a skill he had become to familiar with, but he figured he had seen enough of George and Kuwabara in action to figure out the basics. He'd have Mrs. H in love with him in no time. If not, well . . .

God help the poor bastard that tried to haul his ass away.

A few mornings after _Operation Kiss Ass_ (complete with paper deliveries and "_adorable_" head tilts that were perfected in Kagome's full length mirror) was put into affect, he had to grudgingly admit that Mrs. H was one tough adversary. He watched as Mrs. H inspected one of the many freshly printed flyers that were piled up on the printer tray with no small amount of irritation. Three days of sucking up and she was still insisting that the "To Good Home" posters be plastered up. At this rate he really might actually have to bite someone. "Kagome?" She called, a confused frown puckering at her brow. "I think you made a mistake dear..."

Kagome peeked over her mother's shoulder, obviously searching for her error. "Where?"

Mrs. Higurashi pointed at the paper, a concerned look overtaking her face as she looked at him and back to the flyer. "Here - that can't possibly be right."

As he watched the girl's face take on a slightly paler shade, Yusuke had an idea of exactly what part of the flyer Mrs. H was pointing at. Kagome confirmed his suspicions with a mumbled, "I wish. But it was the vet's scale so ..."

Mrs. H turned pale, eyes darting to his with an almost nervous expression. Yusuke grinned back. Somehow he had the feeling that seeing that shocked, almost nauseous look on peoples faces wasn't going to get old any time soon. Probably had something to do with the satisfaction he felt when people realized that he wasn't exactly defenseless. It was a nice reminder that he could still fuck someone up even without the use of his spiritual powers.

With a dismayed hand to her cheek, the older woman shook her head, "Oh dear, I never thought - well, I knew he was large, but -" she sighed, slowly sinking into the computer chair as her daughter patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"Yeah, I found it pretty shocking too."

"Perhaps," she paused, looking down at the flyer in her hand, "Perhaps we shouldn't divulge that particular piece of information." Her frown deepened as she continued to eye the piece of paper, "Especially since being photogenic doesn't seem to be on his, very short, list of good qualities."

Yusuke couldn't help the doggie smirk that spread well past his jowls or the way his tail tapped against the floor lazily to match his dopey grin. Kagome had spent the better part of the morning trying to take a decent picture of him. He of course made every effort known to both man and doggie kind to make sure it didn't happen. Having the girl chase him around the house as he made a point to avoid the camera lens had been pretty damn entertaining. The disappointed look on her face when she finally did get a face shot only to find he had changed his expression to anything **but** cute was fucking hilarious. He hadn't had the chance to see which picture she had finally ended up picking, but he hoped it was one of the ones with him baring his teeth in a snarl. _That _one would bring people in for sure.

Kagome sighed, hands busy trying to get the stack of flyers into a more orderly pile, "Mama we have to put that part in - otherwise we'll get a whole bunch of people calling that think they're calling about a _norma_l _sized lab_."

A sigh passed her lips and Mrs. H handed her daughter the last remaining slip of printed paper, " I suppose you're right dear." She frowned down at him, as if it was his fault he was as large as he was. "Why do I have the feeling you're going to be much harder to get rid of than I thought?"

He only grinned cheekily back at her because she really didn't know how right she was. Kagome smiled and winked at him while her mother worked on the final proof read (no doubt making sure Kagome didn't take the liberty of switching out one of the digits of their phone number). Once it was decided that the posters Kagome printed out didn't need changing, they were quickly shooed out of the house with clear instructions. Post flyers everywhere and anywhere.

So, with the leash swaying idly between them, Yusuke followed her as she taped up flyer after flipping flyer around one of Tokyo's more popular parks. Bored, he watched a pair of birds overhead twitter anxiously at him as Kagome struggled to tear the duck tape off the roll. He had been idly wondering how he could go about taking the posters down when he heard the wooden clack of a cane approaching them. Normally he wouldn't have even bothered to look (old farts were always walking in the park, it's what they _do_) but the sound tickled something in the back of his brain. It nudged and prodded him, urging him to look. One long glance was all it took for him to figure out why.

He may have only seen her once before, but he'd recognize that bitch's wrinkled face anywhere. After all, he'd only been fantasizing about tearing into her throat for over a month.

Intent on making that particular fantasy a reality, he didn't waste any time lunging at the devil in old women's clothing. The force of it almost sent Kagome, who stubbornly (stupidly) held on to the leash, to the icy ground. Fortunately, her adventures in the past seemed to have honed her reflexes enough to keep her face from eating pavement. _Unfortunately_, it also meant she was quick enough (and strong enough) to use that fucking leash to stop him when he was just inches away from tearing into the bitch's flesh. To his outrage, the old hag didn't even flinch.

"Oh my God I'm so sorry!" Kagome gritted out, struggling with everything she had to hold him back. Yusuke wished she would just let go so he could maul that old bitches face off. It was her fucking fault he was like this! It was her fault that he hadn't seen his friends in over a month; her fault that Keiko was probably worried sick over him. She deserved to get ripped apart! Kagome gave a harsh pull on his leash but it didn't deter him. "I don't know what's gotten into him!"

The old woman chuckled, completely unconcerned about the black snarling mass in front of her. The exaggerated wrinkles in her face deepened with her pleasant smile and it only pissed him off more, "Not at all dear. He's just protecting you." Her beady eyes met Yusuke's, smile turning just a bit sly. "It's his job after all."

Wait, what?

Startled, the fierce growl died in his throat. Was she . . . ? The old woman gave the tiniest hint of a nod. No way Kagome saw it with all her pulling - fucking collar was making his neck sore - but he did. He saw it.

Kagome, still trying to put more distance between him and the hag, gasped out, "Oh, he's," puff, "not really my dog." She gave another strong pull and, faced with the mind numbing possibility that this whole thing wasn't just some crazy odd coincidence, Yusuke obeyed and backed up a couple steps until the leash lay mostly limp between them.

The woman just kept smiling, "Of course he is. He was made for you, you know." Again that sly look sharpened her gaze as her heavily wrinkled eyes slid over to his purposefully and Yusuke **knew** it wasn't his imagination. "He is your protector."

Suddenly feeling a tad dizzy, Yusuke sat down because holy fucking shit this really wasn't a coincidence. That night - the bitch turned him into a dog for a reason - for a purpose. Made for her. Holy _fuck_ he was made for her. Panting, he felt saliva drip off his tongue but he didn't really care if he was drooling like a dog at the moment. He was made to protect her. Protect Kagome. A few weeks ago he wouldn't have cared, he would have still torn the bitches face off. But . . . it's Kagome. He knows Kagome now. He's seen her smiles, her tears . . . her scars. He's seen her.

He could never **not** protect her.

Somehow, looking at the sly crinkled corners of her lips, Yusuke understood that the old bitch already knew. She had known the very night she forced him into this four legged body that he would protect her with everything he had. That bitch knew **him**. Which begged the question: how? He knew the answer to that too, though it made something in his gut clench uncomfortably. It was the way Koenma only asked for him to report that night when every mission before had been a team effort - the way the spirit prince couldn't seem to meet his eye when he told him 'good luck' - that gave it away.

Koenma had never sent him on a mission to take down an old demonic witch. That mission had never even existed; it was just a lie to cover up his true purpose. Kagome had been the real mission all along.

But how could they have known that he would even find her? In a city as large as Tokyo, finding her (or as it turned out, her finding him) should have been near impossible. But when he looked back he thought of how the puppy police had always been blocking every alley but one and of that douchbag dog napper that had given Kagome the leash with a warning to make sure he never escaped; and feels more than a little stupid. Surely the city trained employees weren't so inept that they couldn't figure out how to corner a single dog (or at least do a better job of trying). And Kagome could put on some puppy dog eyes, but he knew the moment he met her that she was a terrible liar. Wouldn't an actual city employee have seen through her lies and snatched a potentially dangerous dog despite her willingness to take him?

Somehow he knew they would. Which would officially make this the most elaborately executed plan Koenma had ever pulled off. Which could only mean that Koenma wasn't "pulling" anything. Toddler didn't have the brain to plan something so extensive let alone make it happen. This, _this_ was the work of someone with a brain on the same level as Kurama's - in other words, genius with a dozen handfuls of conniving.

Paper thin threads were all he had to lead him, but together they linked and wove together to make a complete circle of events that even he, in all his stubbornness, couldn't ignore. His eyes met the hag's and he was convinced.

One thing he learned from being partnered with Kurama over the years was that those brilliant scheming types - the kind that measured and calculated every possible twist, turn, and fucking ballerina spin - liked to follow up on their projects. The old bitch was there in the beginning, she was the one to change him, and now she was there again - following up on her pet project. Despite his world crashing down around him, Yusuke's can't help but feel mildly surprised she could manage to find her way through the park, let alone a master plan. With wrinkles rivaling the grand fucking canyon, the old hag had to be at least twice the age of Grandma.

Kagome, oblivious as always to his inner dilemmas, gave the old woman a curious glance as she looped the leash around her hand for extra security. "Made for me?" There was just the slightest hint of suspicion underlying the question, but it was enough to draw Yusuke away from his inner turmoil and focus on her instead. Her body was tense, the muscles in her calves taught and ready to spring while her hand gripped his leash. Past experience had apparently honed her senses enough to know to be wary of cryptic old women. He wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse about her adventures in the past.

The old woman nodded, creepy ass smile still wrinkling her face. "That's right." She gestured to the flyers in her hand with a knarled wooden cane. "What are those Dearie?"

With anticipation obviously growing, Kagome's eyes began scanning the park. When she seemed to realize that they really were alone she took a nervous step away from the stranger. "Uh, posters. My mom wanted me to post them." Yusuke noticed that she was very careful to leave out what the posters were for. Even so, the old hag shook her head and 'tsked' as if she knew what the flyers said without Kagome telling her. With how all the other pieces of this cracked out doggie puzzle was fitting, Yusuke had no doubt that she did.

"Ah, your mother will come around Dearie." She made a shooing motion with her knarled, wrinkled hands. "Now run along home. The weather is far too terrible to be wandering around."

The weather was perfect, one of the most mild they've had all winter, but Kagome took the excuse to escape without questions. Stiffly, she bowed her respects like the polite little girl Mrs. H obviously raised her to be. "Yes, of course," she paused, as if struggling to find a balance between being polite and booking it the fuck out of there. Finally she settled with an awkward "goodbye" and turned on her heel to leave.

Yusuke didn't move to follow her right away. Instead he stared back at his creator for the solid three seconds that it took for the leash - that physical line of colored rope that tied him and Kagome together - to become taut and force him to follow. But it was just long enough to watch that crinkled smile be replaced by a stern, warning look that burned into his color blind retinas. He knew that look; Koenma used to give it to him all the time. It had never phased him before, but this time it was different. Maybe it was because it wasn't being projected by the face of a toddler, or maybe it was because he felt like his whole perception of reality was still trying to recover from a bad hang over. Whatever it was, that look brought a touch of anxious fear to his chest.

_Don't fuck up._

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_Author's Note: Ok, show of hands. Did anyone see that coming?_

_Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I can't believe the kind of support this story is getting and it just makes me more excited to write so I can hear more of your delightful feedback._

_House update: We **finally** have an accepted offer after nearly ten rejected offers. Fingers crossed that the inspection goes well and I won't be reduced to a blubbering blob of depression and self pity._


	14. A Fox

_"Some days you're the dog, some days you're the hydrant."  
>- Unknown<em>

**(:)(A)(:)  
>The Good Dog<br>Chapter #14  
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Sometimes Koenma just knew certain things. Perhaps it was due to his status as a demigod, or maybe he was just blessed with an uncanny instinct. Regardless, the moment George's static filled voice announced he had a visitor over the intercom, Koenma knew his day was going to be off to a very bad start.

The wide double doors of his office opened before he even had the chance to respond and the spirit prince inwardly flinched when a certain red headed detective he had been avoiding walked in. Immediately he was fixed with the fox's sharp intelligent gaze and Koenma struggled not to wilt under it while the heavy doors closed with a heavy, foreboding, thud. It was definitely going to be a bad day.

He had known this day would come, how could it not? One of Kurama's best qualities was his intellect, his ability to calculate and fit little facts together to create a whole picture. It had been only a matter of time before he would be forced into the discussion he knew was coming. Still, Koenma knew that telling the detective the truth wasn't an option in this particular scenario. Problem was, lying to someone as sharp-witted as Kurama wasn't much of a viable option either. If only Kuwabara had come in to do the interrogating...

"Ah, Kurama, it's been a while. How have you been?" Yes, that's good! Just act normal and deflect the conversation. Distract him with pleasantries. That should work right? At the very least it should at least stall the inevitable.

Kurama's eyes narrowed in displeasure, mouth tightening in what was clearly an unamused frown. "Yes it has. It seems that every appointment I scheduled to meet with you has been either canceled or rescheduled." The avatar's head tilted, gaze sharp and unyielding. "It's strange though, I don't recall you ever having an appointment policy."

Damn it, he had hoped he wouldn't notice that. So much for stalling. "Ah yes, well, things have been so hectic around here - you know, paperwork and mission assignments and," he searched his desk for inspiration but it was barren other than a blank document that he had taken the liberty of doodling on, "stuff."

When Kurama's expression failed to lose its serrated edge Koenma felt a touch of panic grip his heart. Palms sweating, he slid the doodled page closer to him as if it were something of importance. He had to get the detective out of his office, there were too many burning questions in his gaze and too much suspicion in his voice for any discussion today to go smoothly. "In fact, as you can see, I have a very important document that I need to go over, so perhaps we could catch up at another time?"

The detective's frown only deepened. "I saw Keiko this morning."

Crap, he wasn't leaving. Why wasn't he _leaving_. "Well that's nice. Perhaps we should all get together another day, you know, when I'm not incredibly busy -"

Kurama ignored him, taking a couple steps closer to his boss' oversized desk. "Apparently Yusuke never told her he was leaving," his gaze hardened, "that's a bit odd - don't you think?"

"Odd?" The spirit ruler echoed, feeling sweat beginning to collect at the rim of his cap. "Yes I suppose so, but you know Yusuke!" he chimed, awkwardly, "He can be rather inconsiderate with those kind of things."

By the stony look that clouded over the detective's face, Koenma knew he wasn't buying it. "You owe us all an explanation, Keiko especially."

A drop of sweat ran down his temple and past his ear. "I already told you, Yusuke is on an undercover mission."

"A mission that he didn't breath a word to Keiko about and has lasted over a month," Kurama deadpanned.

"Because it's top secret!" Koenma wailed, pulling his blue and pink cap over his eyes. Damn it, he needed to get Kurama out of there - he was asking too many questions that he couldn't give the answers to.

Suddenly, like an angel from Heaven, George's voice materialized over the intercom. "Uh, Koenma sir? You have another visitor."

Immediately the child ruler jumped on the excuse to get the nosy detective out of his office. He held the intercoms red button down as he replied back earnestly. "Yes! Of course! Please send, uh -" Crap, who else would be stopping by his office?

George's voice saved him, "Er, it's an old lady sir."

Koenma blinked. Old lady?

An elderly woman's voice floated through the speaker after a short scuffling sound and George's meager, muted protests. "Junior, dear, you really ought to teach your lackeys some respect." In the background he could hear her muted scolding, "Really now, didn't your mother ever tell you not to go around calling women old? It's quite rude."

Koenma's blood froze. Only one person in the Spirit World had taken a liking to calling him Junior and that happened to be the one person he really didn't want to see right now. His eyes slid over the the stewing kitsune already in the room.

"Junior, I'm waiting." The disembodied voice twilled. "Don't make me break down the doors."

Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it! This whole thing was going completely, utterly **wrong**. He forced out the words "come in" from behind gritted teeth and swiveled his chair back to Kurama. If there was any good thing about his new visitor's arrival it was that it might be the only thing to get Kurama out of his office. He tried his best to sound sincerely sorry, but he wasn't quite convinced that he nailed the performance. "Gosh darn it, I guess we will have to continue this conversation some other time!" If the avatar's expression was anything to go by, Koenma could assume his acting needed some work. Still, he made a shooing motion towards the door. "Go on then! Don't worry about calling me, I'll call you!"

A low growl rumbled in the red head's throat, "Damn it Koenma, Keiko thinks Yusuke abandoned her! Do you really want their broken relationship on your conscience?"

Koenma faltered. He didn't want to break anything - had no intention of breaking anything. He just wanted to do his part to save the world. He didn't want anyone getting hurt, whether it be physically or emotionally. He was just doing what he had to do. He was just playing his meager part in the whole drama. He had expected the suspicion that would arise from Yusuke missing, and even the quiet distrust that would grow the longer he was gone, but - something in his chest twinged guiltily - he hadn't ever really considered Keiko's feelings on the matter. Their relationship had already been through so much strain, and Yusuke had only just come back from the demon world a few months ago. What if this really did ruin them?

The creak of the door opening seemed loud in the tense silence and it only seemed to increase Koenma's sudden nausea. It was then followed by the echoing clack of a wooden cane against his bamboo floors, a rhythmic reminder of how quickly his day was being shot to hell. He suppressed the shiver that ran down his spine as the woman came to a stop and gave him a knowing, wrinkled grin. "Kurama, I'm afraid I will have to speak to you about this later."

The detective looked between himself and the newcomer with distaste. "I will figure this out Koenma. Whether you give me any information or not." He stormed out, leather shoes slapping angrily against the floor as he went through the open door where he paused. Turning on his heel to face him, he gave the spirit ruler a mock bow, "Good luck with your _work_," he said, before silently swinging the heavy door closed. Koenma cringed. This whole mission seemed to be costing him and his team more and more.

Heedless of his growing trepidation, the old woman standing in front of his desk snorted, the sweet grand motherly voice that was heard over the intercom quickly fading. "Wow, some kitsune. He didn't even try to trick you into giving any information." She tsked, tapping her cane on the floor and recklessly tossing it onto her shoulder like a soldier would his rifle. Koenma almost wished it was; he could have asked her to shoot him with it. "What have demons come to these days?"

Koenma, feeling the not-so-sudden onslaught of a headache blooming in his right temple, dropped his head in his small hands with a groan. "Why are you here?"He paused briefly before adding, "And in _that_ form of all things."

She waved a wrinkled hand, "Oh this old thing? This is the form I picked for that mutt of ours. I thought that he might have some reservations about tearing into an old woman's throat -"

Koenma scoffed, "You would be wrong."

She frowned, the wrinkles along her mouth deepening. "Ya, I caught onto that. I wasn't kidding about teaching your crew some manners. Or some self control for that matter. Bastard tried to maul my face today," she huffed, arms crossing over her chest. "Right in front of Kagome too. Can you imagine?"

The information was slow to sink in (he blamed the headache) but when the words finally registered Koenma's head snapped up eagerly. "Wait, you saw Yusuke _today_?" Seeing the elderly face nod, Koenma snapped in irritation, "For the love of - will you get out of that form already?!"

She pouted, but it turns out old women jutting out their wrinkly bottom lip only comes off as creepy. "You don't like it? Maybe if I baked you some cookies -" At Koenma's frosty glare she rolled her eyes, "Fine, fine. How about this one?" A snap of her fingers and a puff of smoke later, a tall stern faced man in a blue animal control stood where the elderly woman was. He smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "How about this one?"

Koenma groaned, giving up. The man would only feed on the attention if he insisted on using his true form. "Whatever. When did you see Yusuke? You made it very clear at the start of all this that we weren't to interfere -"

"Ah ah ah," the taller man chided, wagging a finger mockingly. "I said **you** aren't to interfere. I never said **I** wouldn't."

The spirit ruler scowled. "And we're just suppose to trust you to make the right decisions?" His fists landed on his desk with an angry thud, "Damn it, you're risking not only the life of my detective but the entire world!"

Instantly all amusement drained from the man's face, a dark scowl growing in its place. "Yes, because unlike you I know how this is suppose to go." When Koenma opened his mouth to argue the man snarled, mask slipping and revealing dark green eyes and clawed hands that dug deep into the wooden edge of the prince's desk. "Do you think you're the only one in danger of losing someone close to you?"

Another poof of smoke and a woman was glaring heatedly back at him. Young face, long dark hair that tumbled down past her shoulders, blue eyes rimmed with thick lashes - Koenma recognized her immediately. The fury behind her iris's made him swallow and he leaned back in his chair to put just a little more distance between them.

"This is the face of Kagome Higurashi, but all you know her as is the protector of the Shikon No Tama," her voice was soft and Koenma imagined that without the taint of malice from the man underneath she would have quiet a beautiful voice. "To me she's more. She's the bravest, most selfless person I've ever known. She took me in with open arms even after I did her wrong." Blue eyes sharpened, dull fingers still gripping the desk where claws had left puncture marks only moments before. "This is the face of the woman who raised me."

Another puff of smoke and Koenma wasn't sure whether to be relieved or concerned that the true form of his acquaintance now stood in front of him. By the way his green eyes darkened and the long auburn hair seemed to bristle, Koenma quickly determined that his change in appearance wasn't reflecting a change of heart. His eyes darted the clawed hands that were still splayed across his desk and encroaching on his personal space, noting with some relief that they had at least stopped maiming the surface of his favorite desk.

Koenma swallowed, trying to wet his painfully dry throat. "Of course, I understand - "

The kitsune scoffed, hands slowly removing themselves from the spirit ruler's property. "No. No you don't." His gaze was sharp, but seemed to lack any lingering anger. "Kagome was like a mother to me. You will never understand what it would mean to me if I lost her, and you can't even begin to imagine what five hundred years of preparation feels like, so do us both a favor and _stay the fuck out of my way_."

Koenma bristled. This whole mission was bogus, all the girl needed was a couple guards to keep an eye on her around the clock and she would be fine. He didn't understand how all the extra drama that Shippo had created could possibly do what a team of trained detectives couldn't. He wanted to say so, wanted to point out how this whole thing was completely idiotic, but he didn't. His father had given the kitsune full reign of the operation and had been quite insistent that Koenma follow any instructions that the fox gave him. Koenma made a point to never disobey his father unless the occasion truly called for it. He thought the mission was being handled incorrectly but, he had to admit, he didn't doubt that the mission would succeed.

So, with his pride taking a silent blow, Koenma grudgingly nodded his acceptance.

Seemingly satisfied, the young demon departed without another word - his cream colored tail twitching in aggravation behind him as he opened the door without bothering to close it behind him. Koenma watched him go, irritated at the entire situation and his place in the middle of it, when he noticed a familiar scarlet haired man leaning against George's desk and staring blatantly at him with green eyes that knew way too much. With his gut twisting in his stomach, Koenma wondered how much could possibly have been heard through those solid doors. Surely not enough for him to worry, right?

It wasn't until George scrambled to close the door with a loud echoing thud, successfully severing Kurama's knowing gaze, that Koenma realized with growing horror that he had never heard the door close when the detective left.

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_Author's Note: Well, for those who haven't read the update on my profile: We got the house! We are still in the process of getting it remodeled so we can move in so that has been sucking up approximately 99.9% of my time lately. Hoping to have it in move in condition in the next few weeks._

Any of you who want to follow along for the ride and see where we are in the home renovation can do so on my blog: building castles in the air . com

And as always, thank you for your continued support! I will try to make the next chapter more timely!


	15. To Protect

**_AN: If you do not usually bother to read the author's notes at the end . . . I humbly ask that you do at least this one time. Thank you._**

_"I like dogs better [than people]. They give you unconditional love. They either lick your face or bite you, but you always know where they're coming from. With people, you never know which ones will bite. The difference between dogs and men is that you know where dogs sleep at night."__-Greg Louganis_

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**The Good Dog**

**Chapter #15**

**(:)(A)(:)**

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><p>Kagome wasn't sure how long she had stood in front of her front door with dread pitting in the bottom of her stomach, only that it had been long enough for her to give up staring at the doorknob to sit on the top step of the porch. The pile of unposted flyers weighed heavily in her lap - a physical reminder of why it was safer out in the cold than in the warm house. She groaned, her forehead hit the stack of papers with a dull thud. Idly she wondered if she would have ink plastered to her forehead when she rose but couldn't really bring herself to care. "Momma's going to kill me."<p>

Next to her, seemingly huddled into his own ball of quiet self pity, Dog huffed.

She sighed, her gaze sliding from the dog next to her to stare at the holy tree across the courtyard. She had no idea what she was suppose to do now. Mama was going to see the posters and think that she was breaking her promise to try and find Dog a new home, she was sure of it. But on the other hand, she couldn't really tell her the truth about why they didn't get posted either - could she?

Would her mother find the ravings of an old woman as disturbing as her daughter did? Was there even anything _disturbing_ about it? Perhaps she had simply spent too much time in the past - a place where cryptic old women usually spelled badness in a big way. Maybe she was just blowing this whole thing out of proportion. The dread pitting in the bottom of her stomach was probably just a result of her own paranoia. After all, trouble never really found her all that often in her time . . . other than the Noh Mask, the Soul Piper, and that dried up demon fiasco that is.

Right, so maybe trouble did sometimes find her on this side of the well. But those had all been demonic occurrences, one of which she had made the mistake of bringing back _from_ the past. Surely going as far as saying the creepy old woman was demonic was quite a stretch. After all, it wasn't like the old woman had been rattling off about her future or ominous things to come ... she had just said that Dog was hers. Still ... "_made for her "? _Most people wouldn't word it like that, would they? It would be, "_he was meant to be yours_" or "_you were meant to find each other_". But _"made for you"? _It was just such strange wording. Then again people always use that phrase when talking about couples - that they were made for each other. That's probably what the old woman had meant ... it had just come out a bit odd is all. Yes, Kagome was sure that this whole thing was just a huge misunderstanding on her part. Past experience had just made her a tad jumpy was all.

Convinced that she had completely over reacted, Kagome's face hardened into a determined frown as she looked back down at her furry companion. He was already looking up at her, head tilted ever so slightly in question. No doubt he was puzzled by her sudden shift of mood. "Dog, we have to go back out there." He blinked and she took it as a sign to continue "If these flyers don't get put up then there's no way I'll be able to convince her to let us keep you." She scratched him behind the ear but he seemed to be too focused on her to really enjoy it - his tail remained limp and unmoving. "I _really _want to keep you," she admitted, a little smile playing on the corner of her lips. Dropping her hand from his soft ear, she adjusted the pile of paper in her lap into a more orderly bundle and stood up. If she left now then Momma wouldn't ever need to know that she almost gave up on the mission she sent her out on. She was rewrapping the leash around her wrist, determined to get the posters up around town and be done with it, when the sound of a branch snapping across the courtyard echoed loud enough for even her dull human ears to hear it.

It was silly really, but after all the time she spent in demon infested Japan it was only natural for her to feel at least a little flicker of apprehension. At this point in her life she just expected it. What she wasn't quite prepared for was Dog's quick response. In a moment he was in front of her, teetering on the next step down while his eyes focused across the courtyard to a bundled figure that was making its way closer to them. The low growl that reverberated through Dog's throat was quickly becoming louder by the time Kagome finally recognized the man underneath the exaggerated layers of clothing. When she did it brought a whole other kind of unpleasant feeling to the pit of her stomach. "Oh, Hojo. What are you doing here?" The rumbling black mass at her feet paused, looking up at her questioningly. She bit back the annoyed sigh that was begging to leave her lips and patted Dog on the head reassuringly. He sat dutifully on the step quietly but remained in front of her, the longer hairs on his neck and back still raised dangerously high in warning. For a moment she stared at him, her ears tuned out to Hojo's reply as something nagged insistently at the back of her brain. The way he put himself in front of her . . .

"Miss Kagome?"

She shook herself from her thoughts, surprised to see that her classmate had already stopped at the porches first step and was eyeing Dog with something akin to anxiety. Embarrassed, she realized that she hadn't been paying any attention to what he had said. "I'm very sorry Hojo," maybe he would blame her lack of focus to one of the million diseases she was rumored to have, "Could you repeat that?"

He nodded, seemingly unperturbed by the fact that she hadn't been listening. "Oh, that's alright. I'm just here to drop of some herbal remedies. I thought perhaps they could help with the skin allergy your Grandfather mentioned."

Kagome withheld a groan as her eyes trailed down the the large bag he was carrying. More medical supplies to stuff in her closet. She plastered on a fake smile, "Oh, that was very sweet of you."

He nodded, eyes still glued to the dog at her feet. "No problem," he said, apparently oblivious to the fact that she had never properly thanked him in the first place. "Say, when did you get a dog?"

The last part was said with more than a hint of nervousness and Kagome realized, with a sick amount of humor that she would probably go to Hell for, that he was more than a little apprehensive of the canine. "Oh, I found him at the train station about a month ago and I haven't been able to find his original owner." She gestured towards the flyers she still held in her gloved hands, "I was actually just about to go out and post some flyers now - Momma wants to try to find him a new home before deciding whether to keep him."

He openly frowned at that, brown eyes finally tearing themselves from the dog to meet her's with concern. "In this cold? Won't that trigger your asthma?"

"Um, well actually," Damn it, why did everyone always have to remember all of her fake illnesses? "My doctor thinks the fresh air might be good for me." She laughed nervously, rocking on the back of her heels, "You see, they think it might be all the dusty old books and things around the shrine that might be causing the asthma so they thought perhaps the outdoors might help." It was as good a lie as she could come up with and, apparently, it was good enough for Hojo too since he seemed to buy it.

"That makes sense," he said with a serious nod. He extended his hand up to her, "Here, I'll carry your flyers for you." He had only taken half a step towards her when Dog began to growl warningly. Kagome wasn't sure she had ever seen anyone retract their appendages so fast. He laughed nervously, cheeks flushed in what Kagome could only assume was embarassment. "Right. Or not."

Kagome stifled her giggles, hiding a smile behind her gloved hand. It really shouldn't be funny - if she was in his position she would no doubt be terrified.

Hojo was less amused. "He seems a bit, er, dangerous. Perhaps you should let animal control find a new home for him?" Dog's lip curled, giving the man an irritated snort to which the frightened teen flinched.

She waved him off, "Oh he's fine. He's just a bit - " she paused, suddenly realizing what was nagging at her, "protective".

He was protective of her.

God she was an idiot. this whole time she had been focusing on the wrong thing - she had been so focused on how the old woman had said that he was made for her that she never really thought about the rest of what she said.

_"He is your protector . . . it's his job after all"._

Suddenly she felt like she actually might have asthma, because the air being pushed out of her lungs didn't seem to want to go back in. She stared down at the dog she had found in the middle of a train station, the dog she thought she had found merely by chance. He was staring back up at her, his deep chocolate eyes a mix of confusion and concern. Dimly, as if underwater, she heard Hojo asking if she was alright. "Yes, I just - " she teetered and gripped the railing and her neatly stacked flyers dropped and scattered across the porch, "I'm not feeling so well."

Hojo made to assist her but Dog snarled at him before he could get close. The boy looked between her and the snarling beast between them in obvious turmoil and Kagome waved him off. "I'm fine, really. I just, I need to go inside. Go home, I'll be fine."

He seemed to hesitate but with another look at her defender he gulped and nodded in agreement. "Ok, well, I suppose I'll just leave this here..." He gently set the bag at the bottom step, going slowly as if he were afraid to startle the animal between them into attacking and retreating quickly once bag was down. "Well, I hope you feel better..." he gave her a small, awkward wave before hastily making his exit. Kagome didn't bother to watch him go. Instead she numbly turned and turned the door knob that she had been avoiding so avidly only a handful of moments before. Dutifully, and with out complaint, Dog followed just like she knew he would. Just like she knew he would continue to.

She knew now, in her heart of hearts that the old woman she met in the park that morning was more than a babbling woman. She knew that those cryptic messages held at least some truth. Dog was made for her; made to protect her.

She didn't hear her mother calling her name until the older woman was right in front of her. Her apron was stained and she was drying her hands with a dish towel with a concerned look clouding her features; she must just have finished up dinner. "Kagome, dear, is everything alright? You don't look very well, are you feeling ill?" Immediately, without waiting for an answer, Mrs. Higurashi was pressing the back of her hand to her daughter's forehead and searching for signs of fever. "You don't feel warm." She removed her hand with a frown, "Perhaps you've only just caught something. Why don't you come eat dinner and then go up to your room and rest. Just in case."

Kagome swallowed thickly while her mother began removing her knitted cap. "Mom?"

"Yes dear?" she answered as she began working on the gloves that stubbornly clung to her daughter's fingers.

"I didn't post the flyers."

Mrs. Higurashi barely paused. "That's alright, I'll have Souta post them tomorrow. For now I just want you to -"

"No Momma, you don't understand," Kagome interrupted, suddenly feeling a sense of urgency building in her chest. "We can't get rid of him."

The older woman's diligent fingers slowed to a crawl as she gave her daughter an evaluating look. "We will talk about it when the time comes Dear. For now I think you need to get some rest."

Kagome shook her head, her still gloved hand gripping the leash so tightly she knew her knuckles would be white underneath. "There was this old woman in the park - she said he was made for me." She sought her mother's gaze imploringly, hoping that she would see her truthfulness. She dropped her voice to a whisper so Souta wouldn't be able to hear from the living room, "Momma, she said he was made to protect me."

Mrs. Higurashi must have seen at least some semblance of truth from her daughter because she didn't try to brush aside her concerns with excuses or explanations. Instead her eyes traveled from her daughter's stricken face to the dog that had sat silently beside her during the entire exchange.

Kagome's eyes followed and she knew instinctively that, as Dog stared back at them in turn, their thoughts were the same.

Protect her from what?

* * *

><p>I apologize that this chapter is delayed, however I am going through a very rough time in my life right now. On August 7th I lost my cousin to suicide - he was only 22 years old. Needless to say this was a blow to my entire family . . . he had no history of depression or mental illness. His mother, my aunt, was fortunate enough to be with him the two hours before he shot himself. She is blessed in that she knows she did everything she could do to stop him and that the suicide was due to a sudden onset of schizophrenia and <em>not<em> months of depression that no one saw. We are blessed in that we know the why - most families aren't so lucky.

Still, even knowing why, it has been the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. I was blessed to grow up with my cousins - we went to camp together, played together, grew together. I am thankful every day that I have these memories but I still can't help but want more. We have since signed up to do the Sacramento Out of The Darkness Community Walk to help raise awareness and funding for further research into depression and mental health.

Society has made the topic of suicide taboo - that needs to change. We lose over 30,000 people to suicide every year in America (that's right, JUST in America). For people between the ages of 15-24 it is the **THIRD** leading cause of death. The third . . . how incredibly sad is that? An average of one person commits suicide every 16.2 minutes . . . they estimate that someone attempts every 1 minute. And yet they say that approximately 80% of people treated for depression can be treated successfully.

If you are one of those people that have these thoughts or urges, I **beg** you to please seek help. I understand that asking for help is hard but you could never imagine the pain and suffering you leave your loved ones with. They are the ones that are left behind and, while time may lessen the pain, I suspect that it will never truly leave.

So please, find help. Not only for yourself but for your loved ones.

If you would like to join in the fight for suicide prevention go to to find a walk near you. If you would like to donate to our team you kind find a link on my profile page.

With love and a heavy heart,

Rachelle


	16. The Choice

"_A dog reflects the family life. Whoever saw a frisky dog in a gloomy family, or a sad dog in a happy one? Snarling people have snarling dogs, dangerous people have dangerous ones." _

_-Arthur Conan Doyle, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes_

**(:)(A)(:)**

**The Good Dog**

**Chapter #16**

**(:)(A)(:)**

For the next few days things were awkward - if that's even the right word for it. The normally loud, exuberant household seemed smothered by quiet concern. Souta, the only one in the house who wasn't privy to the encounter with the witch, seemed to feel the change with more clarity than Yusuke would have expected in a boy his age. But then the kid knew about his sister's adventures in the past, how could he _not_ understand what the suffocating silence meant? He stilled played his video games religiously after school, but Yusuke noticed that it no longer held his full focus. Kid always had an ear tuned to whatever conversation was happening in the other room, no doubt listening for any information on what had caused the gloomy mood in the house. Mrs. H at least attempted to smile and act normally but Yusuke would often catch her staring out into nothing, deep in thought and elbows deep into laundry or dishes - whatever it was that she doing at the time. Gramps seemed to occupy himself with cleaning out one of the few shrine storage houses most of the day and would only come back into the house, covered in hundred year old dust and cobwebs, for meals and sleep. Kagome was, to his annoyance, just silent.

Where she had once confided every little detail of her life to him, now in the face of a danger that even he didn't know of, she wouldn't say a word. She just sat there, her thoughtful stare alternating from the vial of jewel shards and him. He'd be lying if he said that her long, soul searching stares didn't cause him to fidget uncomfortably. Between that and being forced to piss with someone else on the other end of a leash, the word 'awkward' seemed to sum up his life these days. On the other hand - er, paw ... whatever the fuck it was now- the awkward was more welcome than the nagging anxiety that sometimes snuck up on him when it was quiet. Especially at night when the girl slept and he was alone with only his thoughts.

While she studied him during the day, his nights were spent studying her. The irony that they were both looking for the same answers in each other wasn't lost on him, but even if it was he doubted it would have made a difference. He couldn't stop searching for answers any more than she could - even if he did only end up finding more questions than real answers.

Going by the frustrated pull of her brow that was steadily growing deeper over the last couple days, Yusuke guessed that she was having the same stupid luck.

Figured that Hell Bitch would give him such a vague mission. 'Protect her'. Yeah, that was just fucking great. Not like he needed details or anything. **Not. **He had no fucking clue what he was suppose to be doing. He followed her during the day, played guard dog at night, and even scared that spineless bastard off the grounds. Somehow he didn't think that the kind of protecting she needed included chasing off horny little boys who thought they could win a girl over with a bunch of smelly herbal remedies for a rash that she didn't even have.

Not that he had been looking.

He just made a point to check for injuries when she came back from the well, that's all. Besides, girl would probably suspect him even more if started ogling her. Then again, she already seemed suspicious that he was being a 'gentleman'. Fucked if he did, fucked if he didn't. Apparently that was the story of his life at the moment...

He was getting really irritated with this shit. He was tired of stressing out trying to figure out _what the fuck he was suppose to do_. Pissed off that he couldn't talk, couldn't curse, couldn't punch anything because he was _a fucking dog_. And damn it all but he was still a man, underneath all that fucking itchy fur and annoyingly floppy ears he was still a guy. A young guy. With needs. Needs that he could no longer provide himself with thanks to Hell Bitch. Because, hey, wouldn't it be fun to watch him struggle without hands? Right, of course it would. What sadistic bitch in her right mind _wouldn't_ find that fucking hilarious? So, really, when Kagome called him a gentleman she had _no_ fucking clue.

He should get an award for this shit.

When he got his body back the first thing he was going to do was blast through that fucking toddlers doors and demand a raise and a fat paycheck for all this bullshit. Hell, with all the over time he'd probably be clocking by the end of this he would probably be able to buy that new motorcycle he'd been eyeing. In cash. Huh, that was a nice thought. Maybe he'd try to focus on that for the next few weeks . . . or months . . . or -

He stopped that particular train of thought before it could properly develop. Thinking about how long this mission was going to take just gave him indigestion in a bad way. Best to focus on the present at the moment; at least until the future didn't seem so depressingly unclear.

He huffed out a sigh and rested his head on his paws as he watched in mild interest as Johnny Cage pulverized the four armed Goro on the television screen. Johnny Cage was never really Yusuke's top choice when it came to Mortal Kombat - he was more of a Liu Kang man - but for some bizarre reason the kid seemed to like him. Souta gave a cheer as 'Johnny Cage Wins' flashed across the screen, "Yes! Next we get to fight Freddy Krueger I think!" Yusuke's attention was successfully caught. When the hell did Freddy Krueger make it into a Mortal Kombat game? More importantly why the hell hasn't he bought it yet?

Oh yeah, because he was still a dog.

Best to just add that to the rapidly growing list of things Koenma owed him when this was all over.

The sound of Kagome coming down the stairs had him turning away from the television screen and his ears perked as he listened to her footfalls. He tried to justify the fact that he could tell it was her coming down the steps just by the sound of her socked feet against the wooden treads with the thought that the way she bounded up and down those steps truly was unique. She was the only person Yusuke had ever known, or at least had ever _noticed_, that traveled stairs by putting all her weight on the ball of her foot – her heels never touching the ground. How she managed to bound up and down the steps on tip toe without eating it face first remained a mystery to him.

When she reached the last step she paused, her eyes immediately landing on him as if she had actually been looking for him. Weird . . . she had been pretty much avoiding him as much as she could the past week. There was this stubborn little pull of her eyebrows as she looked at him though, as if she was steeling herself for something but still wasn't exactly sure she wanted to. It was gone in a moment though, replaced by a look that pretty much screamed determination. What the hell was she -

"Mom," her voice rang out, but even as she addressed the older woman in the kitchen her eyes remained glued to his. "I'm taking Dog out for a walk."

He blinked. Really? Well that was unexpected. And here he thought she was going to continue to ignore him and the little issue of him being her so called protector. Now she was actually going take him out again?

Wait. Was this a test? Fuck, this felt like a test.

He hated tests.

Mrs. H's head peaked out from around the corner. "Are you going to the grocery store?"

Kagome nodded, already grabbing her coat from the closet and pulling her arms through the heavy fabric. "Yeah, I need to stock up on Ramen so Inuyasha won't throw a fit." Yusuke scowled at the unpleasant reminder that she would be going back through the well in the next few days. The dog demon had already been there once to try to convince her to go back early – Yusuke suspected that it was only the incident with the Hell Bitch that convinced the girl that she should stay home longer. Kagome, oblivious to his dark thoughts (as always), pulled her second arm successfully through the sleeve and began buttoning up the front of her coat. "Would you like me to pick up anything while I'm there?"

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head, "No thank you dear. I think I have everything we need for dinner tonight." She offered her daughter a soft smile. "However, if you would like to pick up the ingredients for Oden then we could have it for tomorrow night before you leave?"

Kagome answered with a dazzling smile. "Mom, you're the best."

"Oh, I know," Mrs. Higurashi said with a teasing wink, but the light mood quickly dissipated as she gave her daughter a somber look. "Just come back safely."

Yusuke watched as Kagome's grin hardened into a determined frown. Somehow, Yusuke knew that she hadn't for an instant forgotten the possibility of danger once she left the safety of her home. Neither of them had. The grim lines around Mrs. Higurashi's eyes had been the only honest expression on the worried mother's face. "Yes Momma."

The leash was attached to his collar with a solemn click and they made their way out with only a goodbye thrown over their shoulders. The subway ride (in which he still refused to sit on the floor of because damn it he still had some semblance of respect) was awkward. Not only was Kagome silent by his side, but the entire of the car full of people felt the need to stare at them both the entire way. He could see the heated embarrassment rise to Kagome's cheeks as she avidly avoided any eye contact and tapped her fingers on her jean clad thigh absently. Despite her obvious discomfort, she didn't try to force him out of the seat he had staked out. Which was good, because he sure as hell wasn't going to get out of it. Still, it was a relief when they came to their stop and they were able to walk in the open air without a dozen eyes ogling them.

They walked together in silence and Yusuke took the time to observe what was around them. It was the familiar feeling of spiritual energy that caught, and held, his attention. Across the street, he saw the Kurama sit at a small bistro table, a small forced smile on his face. Seeing his comrade made his pulse jump and for the first time in nearly a month and a half he felt the excitement that comes with seeing an old friend. Then he saw who he was sitting with and his heart stuttered in his chest.

Keiko was leaning her elbows onto the little metal table that sat between them, her head cradled in her gloved hands. Even from across the street, Yusuke could see that her eyes were red rimmed and puffy from crying. Something deep in his chest ached with what he could only describe as regret. He wasn't sure if it was his heart or conscious.

Stupid girl. Didn't she know by now that he'd always come back?

"Dog? What's wrong?"

Kagome was staring at him. Between them the leash was as taut as a tightrope but he couldn't remember ever feeling the pull on his collar. Sometime between seeing Keiko and hearing Kagome's voice he had frozen on the sidewalk without thinking. He looked between the confused, almost anxious pull of Kagome's brow and back to Keiko's painfully bitter grimace. For an excruciating moment he was reminded of what it felt like to be torn apart. Keiko was right there – a quick bolt across the street and he'd be right there by her side. But Kagome . . . Kagome was by his side now, and she needed him. He didn't know why or when, or any of those stupidly important details, but he knew that she needed protecting. He knew it like he knew the feeling of bruises on his knuckles – no amount of denial would take away the aching in his bones.

Why was it that there was just always _something_ standing between him and Keiko? How many times would he be forced to choose between her and the rest of the world?

Why couldn't things just work out for once in his fucking life?

Hadn't he earned it by now?

"Dog?" Kagome was fidgeting, eyes darting across the street at any and every little thing that could possibly be holding his attention. Her eyes seem to focus on Kurama – no doubt the shock of red hair probably caught her attention like a dog to a bone. Crap, was she able to feel his energy? Her knuckles were turning white with how hard she was griping his leash and he could practically see her body tensed for battle even underneath all of her layers of clothing. Fuck, she was worried now. He fucking scared her. Gently, he nudged her hand and effectively brought her attention from their surroundings back to him. She stared at him expectantly, those wide electric blue eyes tearing into his heart with a force that made him stutter. She looked looked so helplessly lost.

It wasn't fair – life wasn't fucking fair. Kagome was too young, too good, to have to live a life so hard. If anyone in this world deserved happiness, it was her. He had chosen this kind of life for himself – they all had. His service was an exchange for a second chance at life, Hiei and Kurama in exchange for a pardon, and Kuwabara … well Kuwabara was just an idiot and signed himself up. But Kagome? Kagome didn't choose any of this for herself.

She was at Fate's mercy. And maybe, if he were to look at the whole situation through Kuwabara's idealistic view of the world, Fate had brought them together to even out the odds in her favor.

He gave one last parting glance to the bistro table across the street. Kurama was laying a comforting hand on Keiko's, his mouth moving around words Yusuke couldn't hear. Keiko was wiping away the angry tears that spilled across her cheeks with her spare hand. With a long, painful exhale Yusuke turned away from the sight of them and began moving forward. His steps only paused when he felt the leash go taut and he turned back to look at the girl at the other end.

She licked her lips, looking one last lingering time at red haired man before nodding and following him. "Ok," she whispered, nervousness still causing a tremble in her hands, "Yeah, ok. Nothing to worry about. Just my imagination." Yusuke walked silently by her side. The temptation was strong to take one last look at two of the people he held closest to him, but he fought it. Keiko would be fine, maybe unhappy but she would be safe. Kagome didn't have that luxury. It was time to look forward now. Kagome needed him to be at his best.

She deserved that much at least.

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you all for being so patient with me. And thanks to everyone who has offered their condolences and their similar stories of loss. It means the world to me. Writing has been more difficult lately but I promise that no matter what this story <em>will<em> be finished. It may take a while, but we will get there. I haven't come this far to just drop it.

As always, thank you for your support.

-Rachelle


	17. The Escape

"_Mother Nature's ruthless to the weak, but isn't arbitrary cruel or negative. Mother Nature saves aggression for extreme situations, and instead uses consistent leadership-to help keep things running smoothly. Mother nature doesn't rule by fear and anger, but by calm strength and assertiveness." _

― _Cesar Millan_

* * *

><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

**The Good Dog**

**Chapter #17**

**(:)(A)(:)**

* * *

><p>"I need to talk to you."<p>

Miroku blinked owlishly at her from his spot on Keade's front step. "Why are you whispering?"

Kahome couldn't decide if rolling her eyes or groaning would be more appropriate for the exasperation she felt, so she settled on a glare instead. "_Really_?" She hissed, glancing back to make sure no one else in their little group was paying attention. Thankfully Inuyasha was out hunting for some meat to throw in the stew so the only demonic hearing she had to contend with was Shippo's, who was apparently too busy coloring to notice. A quick glance to the right showed that Sango too was more focused on polishing her weapons than their private conversation and Kaede (mercifully) was still in the hut preparing the vegetables so all would be ready when Inuyasha arrived with the meat. "I need to talk to you in private," she whispered, "So just follow my lead -"

She leaned back on her heels, hands clasped behind her back as she tried to become the picture of innocence. "Hey Miroku?" She nodded towards the beaten path that led to the well. "I think I might have left some things at the well the other day, would you mind walking with me to go grab it?"

Again, he blinked, but Kagome could see the gears turning as his face grew serious. "And this -" his gaze slid behind her and Kagome knew he was gauging the group's interest in the conversation, "_item_, can't wait until morning?"

She shook her head. "Nope." She had already waited four days to get him alone so that they could speak in private, but doing so had been impossible while they traveled - Inuyasha wouldn't let her out of his sight let alone out of his range of hearing. When they were in the safety of Kaede's village, things were much more relaxed and stepping away wouldn't cause such an outcry. Tomorrow they were scheduled to leave and follow up on another rumor of a jewel shard. Kagome had no doubts that the journey would pose the exact same problem that the last four days had. It was tonight or never.

He nodded and the rings of his staff jangled as he stood. "Very well, I would be more than happy to escort you Miss Kagome." He put on a cheeky, boyish smile and gestured to the path with a small bow. "After you of course."

She smiled gratefully and turned to the group, not entirely surprised to see that they had caught Sango's full attention. She gave a little wave and plastered on a big smile. "Miroku and I will be back in a bit!"

Sango stood up, one hand still on her sword. "Kagome, you shouldn't go out there in the dark." She scowled, worry evident in her features. "It's not safe."

Miroku, miraculously, came to her rescue. "She's in good hands Sango. You know I wouldn't let anything happen to her."

Kagome nodded, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. "Yeah! Plus," she pulled a plastic tube from her coat pocket and displayed it proudly, "flashlight!"

Sango, having become familiar with her portable torch, gave her an exasperated look. "That's not going to help in a fight Kagome."

"Sure it will!" She flicked the 'on' button and held the light under her chin. "They'll think I'm some crazy voodoo sorceress and run away!" Shippo, coloring temporarily forgotten, let out an excited exclamation of 'awesome' and Kagome sent him a playful wink. When Sango still looked skeptical Kagome lowered the flashlight but kept it turned on. "Or I can blind them," she pointed the light at the demon slayers face and removed it immediately when she winced, "See?"

Looking torn, she turned to Miroku and received a reassuring smile from the self proclaimed monk. "We will only be gone a short time Sango. I promise we will hurry back the moment Kagome retrieves what she left."

The demon slayer hesitated briefly before surrendering with stiff nod. "Very well, but if you're not back soon I'm coming after you!" She then gave a very pointed look to the holy man, the tip of her sword pointing in his direction for emphasis. "And don't think I won't chop your hands off if I hear about them straying!"

Miroku chuckled, "Duly noted." He glanced down at Kagome and once again gestured for her to lead the way. "Shall we?"

Kagome wasted no time. Throwing a hasty "be back in a bit" over her shoulder, she quickly made her way up the trail that lead up to the old well. Miroku, dutifully, kept pace and remained by her side as they distanced themselves from any prying ears. When they were approximately half way to the well, Kagome abruptly stopped and turned to her companion.

Trying (and failing) to keep the hint of panic from her voice, her words tripped over themselves awkwardly. "Ok, so. There was this - actually, before I say anything you have to promise ok? Don't - we can't tell Inuyasha yet alright? He'll freak out and he'll never let me go home."

Slowly, his eyes studying her face carefully, Miroku nodded. "If that is what you want Miss Kagome then what is said here will remain in confidence."

Her shoulders relaxed, and she sent him a grateful smile. "Thank you. I just - I need to get this all sorted out before I go to Inuyasha." She cringed, still not entirely comfortable that she was discussing this behind the hanyou's back but at a complete loss as to any other option. Looking up at the monk, she begged him with her eyes to understand. "You know how he is."

Miroku's brow furrowed, his eyes shining with worry as he brought his uncursed hand to her shoulder in a sign of support. "Perhaps it would be best to start from the beginning?"

She let out a breath, nerves still frazzled. "Right. Yeah, that would be good." She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly feeling parched. "Remember a couple weeks back? When you told me you thought Naraku might be targeting me?"

The hand on her shoulder tightened momentarily out of reflex and Miroku's usual boyish features darkened into something grave. "What has happened?"

Kagome ran a hand through her dark hair and took a steadying breath before her mouth opened and the events of the last two weeks came pouring out of her in a rush. She told him about the old woman in the park and all the strange things she had told her; about her meltdown on her front porch when she realized the implications, and Dog's reaction when Hojo got too close. She even told him about that terrifying moment when Dog had seemed both entranced and disturbed by the jewel shards around her neck, how he had snarled and backed away as if he knew the destruction, the blood, they were responsible for. Anything that had seemed odd or worrisome to her at the time, even the little things she had brushed off, she told Miroku in hopes that he could bring some much needed order and clarification to her situation.

Meanwhile, as each story began to stack on the other, the confused crease in the monk's youthful brow became more pronounced and the worried turn of his mouth tightened. "So you think the dog might have been sent to protect you? In your time?" When she nodded miserably he sighed, bringing his cursed hand to rest on his chin as he thought. "Has there been any instances where you felt that you needed protecting?"

She frowned, arms crossing over her midsection self consciously. "Well, that's the other thing. A few days before I came here I had taken Dog with me to go get some of Inuyasha's Ramen and he just - stopped. Like, right there in the middle of the sidewalk. And he was staring at this couple at this little coffee place -"

Miroku interrupted her, "Coffee?"

"Oh, right. It's um, like this type of beverage that gives you energy?" The monk nodded his understanding and gestured for her to continue. "Anyway, the guy was just -" she struggled for the right words, "I mean, he _looked_ human. He didn't have the pointy ears or anything like that. But he had this long, bright red hair." She shook her head. "Which I guess isn't really _too_ suspicious. He could have just dyed it - it's really easy to change hair color in my time. But he was just ... pretty. Like, _**really**_ pretty."

Miroku blinked, his serious expression suddenly changing into one of complete bafflement. "He was a possible threat because he was ... pretty?"

She gave him a pointed look. "Like Sesshoumaru pretty."

When he continued to give her a look that clearly said he was trying, but failing, to understand the importance of this little detail she grumbled. "Maybe I should have talked to Sango about this." She sighed, "He was inhumanly gorgeous Miroku."

Finally something close to comprehension flashed in those calculating eyes. "You think he might be a demon?"

She nodded, goosebumps trailing uncomfortably down her arm even as she tried to rub them away. "Yeah, I think he might have been. What if there are still demons in my time, just hiding themselves? I mean, human technology has advanced so much - what if demon technology has too?"

Miroku rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose it could be possible." He gave her a questioning look. "Did he feel any different to you?"

Kagome shook her head, cheeks pink in embarrassment. "No, but I've never been good at sensing demonic presence - you know that. Unless they have a jewel shard I'm pretty much as blind as any other human." She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Maybe, if I touched -"

Miroku was quick to cut her off. "No, I don't think that would be wise." He sighed, giving her a soft smile. "He didn't threaten you at all?" When she shook her head he hummed, "Good, perhaps it was only a coincidence then. In the mean time I suggest that we focus more on your miko training just to remain on the 'safe side' as you call it."

"Easier said than done," she grumbled. "Inuyasha's never going to let us carve out any time for training - especially not now when he has a rumor of a jewel shard."

Miroku sighed, his hand rubbing the back of his neck wearily. "Yes, I'm well aware. However, let me -" he paused, his head snapping towards Inuyasha's Forest. In the hushed silence she could hear trees groaning and the frantic flapping of wings paired with frightened squawks.

Underneath her she could feel the ground tremble.

"Run," Miroku whispered, eyes wide and trained on movement she couldn't see in the darkness. When she hesitated, he turned to her with panic in his eyes. "Run! Now! Go to the well!"

She didn't wait to question him, but as she turned she could hear the clicking of prayer beads as he unraveled them from his hand. Her feet slapped the ground, her heart beating wildly in her chest as she ran in the darkness as her hands fumbled with the flashlight. Behind her she could hear Miroku's shouting and could feel the wind lashing at her back the moment he opened the wind tunnel, but she didn't dare look back. Not when she so foolishly forgot her arrows. Not when she knew she would be more of a hindrance than help. But she could distract, couldn't she? After all, wasn't it her they were after?

When her clammy fingers finally found the 'on' switch of her flashlight she nearly stumbled at the sudden change of light before quickly regaining her balance. She had only been joking when she told Sango that she would blind them, but when she aimed the beam of light of her her shoulder in hopes of catching the demon's attention. She was rewarded with an inhuman screech that sounded entirely too close for her comfort.

Right. On the plus side they were definitely following her.

She continued to shine the light over her shoulder erratically, giving a silent cheer whenever she heard a painful response. Focusing past the blood pounding in her ears she could hear massive steps gaining on her and she pushed the straining muscles in her legs even harder. The well was in her sight now, she was going to make it. The soles of her shoes hit the ancient wood with a dull thud as she threw her leg over the lip. She was there, she just -

She was looking down into the infinite blackness of the well but she wasn't falling. Her stomach hurt and her legs felt like they were being crushed. Why -

"Silly little miko. Did you think you could hide in the well?" The deep baritone of his voice vibrated through her and slowly, as if coming out of a fog, Kagome realized that her lower body was being crushed. There was the large red hand of an oni gripping her from the waist down, the talon on his thumb puncturing her lower abdomen and pinning her like a science experiment. Blood, her blood, was darkening his fingers. She stared at it while his booming laugh shook her body. " Did you think you would be safe there?"

Slowly, her breath coming rapidly and her heart bursting in her ears, she turned her head to face him. His face was close to hers, all hard angular lines as he taunted her. One thick eyebrow furrowed with sinful glee as he held her up to his one, bulbous eye for inspection. "I really just wanted the jewel shards but you look pretty tasty yourself. Perhaps I'll have you for dessert!"

Her hand clenched and she could hear the groaning of plastic. Her arms were free - he didn't pin her arms. Through the shock she knew she was probably experiencing, she gave him her fiercest glare before the pain could catch up with her. "Fuck you." She pointed the beaming flashlight right into his gigantic eye, imagining his yellow iris as a target.

Immediately he howled, dropping her to bring his hands up to his burning retina and she was falling. The walls of the well rose to greet her like an old friend and she embraced the momentary darkness, closed her eyes, and waited for the magic of the well to take her.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> It feels so good to be writing again – getting through the last chapter of this story was apparently just what I needed. _Everlong_ has also been updated and I'm expecting that a new chapter will be uploaded in the near future as well. I may reformat the chapters a bit – rereading the first few chapters has made me realize that it might flow better if the scene breaks were chapter breaks instead. We'll see.

Thank you again to everyone for reviewing and being so supportive. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm looking forward to writing the next. Let me know what you think about the end scene, I'm hoping the lack of detail reads more as 'shock' than 'lazy writer'.

Let me know what you think!

(Also, if you have a bajillion alerts for this I'm sorry. Every time I post it doesn't seem to be sending out an alert...at least not to my email. Are you guys receiving them?)


	18. Shadows

_"Come morning, his memory would be of a night spent watching over them all. And each of them - dog and boy, mother and old man - would feel the same."_

— _David Wroblewski__ (__The Story of Edgar Sawtelle__)_

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

**The Good Dog**

**Chapter #18**

**(:)(A)(:)**

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><p>Bored, Yusuke rested his head on the window sill with a huff, watching as his breath fogged up the glass and temporarily blurred his view of the shrine grounds.<p>

It was a quiet night, like most nights at the Higurashi household. One of the benefits of living on a shrine - it was an escape from the noise and the movement that bred in the city. He was beginning to appreciate the peacefulness that came with the hushed silence that fell over the spiritual grounds. He still missed the hustle and bustle of the city, mostly because he knew it would stave off his boredom, but he was slowly coming to realize the value of stillness. Genkai's place had been like that at times. When there weren't demons causing a ruckus in the surrounding forest and the team wasn't there filling the grounds with laughter and false insults, it had been just like this. He wondered if he had let himself sit still if he would have realized the appeal there too.

Probably not, those types of things needed to be forced on him.

Beside him Souta mumbled in his sleep and turned restlessly. The kid was always been the first to volunteer for dog duty when Kagome left, but as glad as Yusuke was to be invited on the bed for once, he wished they'd let him just sleep in the living room. Kid had a nasty habit of kicking in his sleep and Yusuke had woken up in a startled panic with a foot connecting with his face on more than one occasion. Needless to say he didn't sleep well when he was in Souta's care.

By the third night with little to no sleep Yusuke pulled out the white flag and surrendered. With a silent farewell to his sleeping partner, he made it his mission every night to escape to the downstairs living room so he could pass out on the couch. That magical place where he could sleep without fear of appendages flying in his direction.

Nights like this it was simply a matter of waiting till the kid clonked out before quietly making his escape. Luckily for him the doors were outfitted with handles instead of knobs. It was easy enough to push down on a lever and pull, but figuring out how to grip a circular piece of hardware without thumbs was beyond him.

A small little snore escaped the kids gaping mouth, drool beginning to collect into a puddle on his pillow. Carefully walking around the kid's sprawled limbs, Yusuke quietly made his exit. He'd come back before Souta woke up, close the door behind him, and no one would be the wiser. Kid didn't get hurt feelings and Mrs. H wouldn't throw a fit and change the door handles.

Softly, he padded down the stairs, carefully avoiding any weak spots in the floor that he had become intimately familiar with over the past few months. He settled himself on the couch, just about to close his eyes and call it a night when he just happened to look out across the courtyard and to the well house.

He wasn't even sure why he did it. Sure he glanced periodically throughout the day and pretty much stared the wooden structure down when she was scheduled to come back, but it was close to midnight. Kagome never came back in the middle of the night. So really there was no reason for him to feel compelled to turn and look, but for whatever reason he did.

There was a light coming from inside the well house. He could see it flickering through the cracks in the old, beat up wood. Slowly, he raised himself from the comfort of the couch, his eyes glued suspiciously to the wooden structure that was quickly becoming the bane of his existence.

For a moment he tried to convince himself that it wasn't Kagome. Because Kagome didn't come home this late and even if she did she wouldn't decide to fucking camp in there. Maybe it was a burglar - one stupid enough to try to rob a shrine.

And decided a well house was the first place to look for valuables.

Right. Definitely not a thief. But why would Kagome come home in the middle of the night? Unless -

His blood turned to ice and in his chest his heart stuttered painfully.

Unless she was hurt.

He bolted to the door. Underneath him the couch screeched loudly against the floors and hit the wall behind it with a dull thud from the amount of force he had used jumping off. His hind legs slipped from under him as he turned the sharp corner and came face to face with the front door only to curse. The deadbolt, how the fuck did he forget about the deadbolt? Frantically he scratched at the mechanism until it finally gave way with a click and quickly pulled on the handle until the door opened with a groan.

The smell slammed into him and he staggered for dazed moment as if the scent of blood and snow made up a solid wall. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck! **Not** good.

He barked as loud as his lungs could manage while still sprinting to the well house. The courtyard, covered with fresh snow from that evening was icy under his feet and it was only because of his claws biting through the ice and into the stone beneath it that he made it to the well house door without eating it into the snow.

He rammed his shoulder into the edge of the door in desperation and was relieved to hear the metal groaning against the frozen track as it gave way. Light was beginning to spill into the darkened courtyard and he realized with an immeasurable amount of relief that the lights were turning on one by one in the Higurashi household. He howled loud enough to wake up the rest of Tokyo and gave a final push, ignoring the way the wooden edge bit painfully into his shoulder.

The sight of her stopped him cold.

She was gripping her stomach, her hand covered in her own blood while her other was reached out to him. To the door. She had been crawling towards the door. And _fuck_, there was blood everywhere. A trail of it dragged behind her, coating the floor and leading to the lip of the well where she must have dragged herself out. The flashlight looped around her wrist scraped against the wooden floor as she struggled to lift her hand to his face. There was clammy sweat clinging to her brow, terrified tears leaking from the corners of her eyes and dripping off her chin.

"Dog?" Her fingers brushed against his cheek. It was enough to shock him back to reality. She needed help and she needed it fucking minutes ago. Where the fuck was her family? He turned, intent on dragging one of them out forcefully, when her hand caught his leg.

"Don't leave," she whispered, "Please, please don't leave."

Fuck.

He needed to get her out of there. He needed - his eyes snagged onto her coats hoodie and suddenly he was moving before he could even wonder if what he was about to do was a bad idea or not.

He grabbed the fabric between his teeth, and pulled. Her body slid against the wooden floor and her coat rode up her body with every step he took, but there was a look of relief on her face that hid behind her pained grimace. The hand that she had held up to him dropped to the bloody hole in her stomach and applied more pressure.

He cringed as he pulled her body through the door and over the slight lip, knowing he could have been gentler but unwilling to falter. This, he knew this. He had experienced it himself. How many times had he forced himself to keep going despite his body's desperate pleas for him to stop? Pain was just that thing that reminded him that he was alive, it was just a thing made up in his head. The blood, the life, seeping into her coat and painting the snow in red streaks - _that_ was real. That would kill her.

Kagome knew it too. He could see it in her glassy eyed expression as she watched him pull her, those electric blue eyes meeting his and thanking him and begging him all at once. She didn't complain about the pain, she didn't whimper and she didn't ask for him to be more careful. Because pain wasn't real and she was a battle worn warrior just like him and, she knew that truth almost as well as he did. The only thing real in that moment was the blood, the fear, and the guilt when Mrs. H screamed out her daughter's name.

"Kagome!" Yusuke winced, releasing the hoodie and standing aside as the distraught mother cried and her hands shook over her daughter's bloody ones. "Oh God - no. No!" Frantic, she screamed towards the house, "Call the ambulance! Hurry!"

Yusuke heard a door slam, heard a little boy crying into a phone because help, please help, my sister's bleeding and I think she might die. He couldn't smell anything but blood and salt. He could only feel his erratic heart as it raced forward even as the rest of the world slowed down.

He saw though. He saw a lot of things, things that in another life he would have never noticed. Of all his senses that was the only one that didn't seem muted or compromised.

Kagome's eyes fluttered and Mrs. H's birthed more tears. Souta was frozen on porch, the phone still limp and heavy in his hand as his body shook and his face paled. Gramps was kneeling in the space between mother and son, sister and brother, praying and chanting to any god that would listen to please, please spare her and take him instead.

The courtyard lit up with flashes of red and white light and a team of men emerged, shouting wordless orders and turning Kagome into a tangle of IV lines and life reading wires. They cut her bloodied clothes and shoved their hands, their gauze, into her gaping wound. Then she was on a bright yellow stretcher and they were taking her away, talking urgently into their walkies while Mrs. H followed them in her blood stained pajamas. Gramps and the kid left too, following another man in another uniform into another vehicle with lights flashing on top.

Yusuke watched. He sat. He waited.

From the top of the steps he watched the sun change the world into warm light and long shadows. Behind him the trail of Kagome's blood was darkening with age and her shredded coat lay limp in the snow like a mangled animal. He tried not to look at it. He tried to focus on the sun and the shadows because it was easier, and because it held answers to the future when the scene behind him only told him of the recent past. The past he couldn't change because he wasn't Kagome, because he wasn't the exception to time's rules and regulations. He was just Yusuke, the man turned dog that was lost without his fists and feet to fight with.

The light had moved over him now, glaring down from its place high in the sky and turning long shadows into small ones. It looked bright, but he couldn't feel any of its warmth. He couldn't feel the cold either. He couldn't feel anything past the dragging pull on his heart and the heaviness in his limbs.

This was what it meant to be the spectator. This was the price he paid when he wasn't being the hero.

The three of them came back together. A yellow taxi pulled up using the back entrance and dropped the family off close to the main house. Yusuke watched for a sign in any of them but they all just looked as numb and exhausted as he was. Souta helped Gramps up the porch steps and they disappeared into the house. Mrs. H though, she didn't follow them. Instead she thanked the cabbie and watched him drive out before turning and walking towards him.

Her face, having been so neutral as she approached him, started to crumple until she was in front of him, tears rolling shamelessly down her cheeks. Yusuke felt his chest tightened and that little ball of nerves that had been sitting and growing while he waited for them dropped heavily in his stomach.

No. She couldn't be ...

Had he really failed?

Suddenly she was kneeling, throwing her arms around him as if he was the only thing holding her to this world, and burying her tear streaked face into his fur. "Thank you," she whispered, "You saved her, you saved my little girl." She sobbed, her body shaking with the force of it and slowly, Yusuke felt his body come back to life. "She's going to be ok."

Yusuke trembled in relief and embraced the warmth of Mrs. H's touch, letting his chin rest on her shoulder. Looking across Tokyo, lit by the brightness of the sun, he let the shaken mother's tears soak his fur as his punishment.

He wouldn't let himself come that close to failing again.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> You know how you imagine a scene for so long, and are _excited_ to finally write it because holy-crap-we're finally-there, and then you get totally, almost irreversibly _stuck_? Yeah, that shit totally happened. Lesson learned. Write it as you think it. I think it came out alright … but I'm not in love with it.

On another note, two weeks ago I was introduced to Fairy Tail by my dear friend Netflix. I am now more or less obsessed and I have definitely been stricken by the all consuming disease known as NaLu.

So.

If you're into that fandom check out the story I posted called _Ignite_. It started out as a one shot but due to the rapid spread of the disease it has quickly turned into a chapter story (seriously, I've written four chapters in the past four days wtf is going on?!)

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter!

Update 7/17: I've had several people ask so I'm guessing I didn't do such a great job of explaining in the last chapter. Sorry! Kagome was wounded by the demon before she fell into the well - his thumb pierced her stomach.


	19. Regrets

.

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"_If here are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."_

_-Will Rogers_

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

**The Good Dog**

**Chapter #19**

**(:)(A)(:)**

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><p>The first thing she noticed was the smell.<p>

The air was too sterile, too full of chemicals and deficient in anything natural. It was synthetic, it didn't smell or taste real. The second thing she noticed were the sounds - the steady, rhythmic beeping of monitors, the sound of rubber shoes squeaking on bleach soaked linoleum tiles. A part of her, that small part that was somehow managing to function without the rest of her, knew where she was before she even had the chance to summon up the willpower to open her eyes.

When she managed to summon the willpower to crack her eyes open, wincing at the light, she wasn't surprised to find herself staring up at white walls and white ceilings. Her fingers twitched and she felt thin cotton catch on her calloused palms. She rolled her head to the side. She was propped up on a stiff mattress. There was an IV in her arm and some of the beeping she heard was coming from an intimidating machine to her right.

She was in a hospital.

Why was she in a hospital?

She groaned, something was on the edge of her mind. A full, coherent, thought was trying to push it's way through but her head felt muddled and dazed. Drugged? Her eyes lazily traced the IV line. Yeah, drugged. That would make sense.

"Kagome?"

She recognized that voice - she had her name spring from those lips an infinate number of times since she was born. "Mom?" she mumbled. Her voice sounded hoarse, and moving her lips around the single word reminded her of how dry her mouth was. Like she had been sucking on cotton and the little white fibers still lined her mouth. Also, why did her throat hurt so bad? "What -?" she couldn't even finish her question. She was so, so tired and words weren't forming like she wanted them to.

Mama's hand brushed her bangs from her forehead and Kagome thought she felt something wet touch her hand but she wasn't sure. She tried to focus on her mother's face. Oh, she was crying. "Kagome, sweetie. How are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

Pain? No, she didn't feel pain - just a stiffness, a heaviness. "No," she rasped.

"Good," the older woman murmered, fingers tracing over her daughter's cheek. "_Good_."

They sat for a few moments, mere seconds according to Kagome's drug infused haze, her mother alternating between stroking her hair and letting her hands linger on her face. It was comforting, and Kagome's eyes soon shut and she let herself sink back into the peaceful darkness that she had emerged from only moments before.

The second time she woke up she felt both better and worse. The stiffness she had vaguely noticed before was making much more of an impact, but her head felt clear. Still drowsy, but it felt more like swimming in the ocean as opposed to swimming in Souta's favorite vanilla pudding. Mama was still there, asleep in one of the plastic hospital chairs that was set aside in the corner.

So were her memories.

She lifted the hospital sheet timidly, almost afraid to see the damage. It was almost a relief to see nothing but crisp white bandages. Maybe she could pretend the skin was completely unmarred underneath. Except, she knew it wasn't, and that almost made the fact that it was so heavily wrapped even more worrisome. How bad was it?

She was almost tempted to undo the bindings herself but she withheld the urge. She knew better - how many times had she chastised Inuyasha for messing with his dressings? Still, not being able to see the damage was a bit scary.

How close to death had she really been?

She remembered being terrified, blood soaking her hands and making the climb up the well ladder slippery. There was pain too, she knew, because her body hadn't moved the way she wanted it to. She knew, but it wasn't the pain she remembered the most. It was the fear she felt when she couldn't even reach the well house door, the horrified thought that she might die in there and no one would know until one of her family members opened it up to find a corpse - the _guilt_ she felt when she heard her mother screaming her name.

There had been something else too though, another emotion that hadn't been so dark, so desperate.

The moment that door opened and she saw Dog standing over her ... she didn't think she had ever felt more relieved in her life. He had brought that small amount of hope that maybe, just maybe, he could save her.

And, even if he didn't, at least she wouldn't die alone.

Tears built up in the corner of her eyes and she brought the hand that wasn't tied down by IV lines up to wipe them away before they spilled down her face. She had been so close to giving up. If she hadn't had Dog ... if he hadn't dragged her out of the well house and into the snow and filled her heart with that little light of hope in her darkening vision - if she hadn't heard her family crying for her ... she wasn't sure she would have been able to hold on.

How weak of a person did that make her? She had already accepted that she would never be able to match her friend's skill in battle, but she had always thought that she at least made some of it up in spirit. But now ... now she wasn't sure she could even claim that.

She jumped in her skin when she felt warmth cover her cold hand gripping the scratchy hospital sheets, only to relax moments later when she saw her mother's face next to her bedside. Her hands were wrapped gently around her own, as if the wound in her stomach had made the rest of her equally fragile. Kagome hadn't even heard her get up. Swallowing thickly, Kagome prayed her voice wouldn't crack. Mama already looked so close to tears without her help. "Hi Momma."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled but it seemed forced, as if the corners of her mouth were being weighed down by worry. "Hi Baby."

Baby ... Momma hadn't called her that in so, so long. Her throat tightened uncomfortably and she blinked back tears. Be strong - she had to be strong. She owed her mother that much at wanted to ask so many things, but she was afraid the moment she opened her mouth to ask that the small amount of self control she had would unravel faster than she could reel it in.

Mama must have known though. She had always been able to read past the silence. "The surgeon said you should make a full recovery," she said lightly, looking down at her daughter with a heavy sadness weighing her expression. "He thinks you should even be able to come home by Christmas."

Christmas - God, she hadn't even thought about Christmas. The phantom image of her family sitting around the christmas tree without her - tears falling to the floor instead of colorful scraps of paper - haunted her vision until she forced it away. If she was home by Christmas, then that meant she wouldn't have to be in the hospital for more than two weeks. That was a plus right?

Her mother's finger tips kissed against her forehead as she brushed her bangs aside. "He said we're very lucky ... if they didn't do the surgery when they did ..." Mama's voice tapered off, closing her eyes as if refusing to see would mean she wouldn't have to face the end of that particular thought.

Kagome squeezed her hand. Maybe she had inherited some of her Mama's innate ability to read the words that remained unsaid, because she didn't need to hear the rest to know what the doctor had told her mother. If she had arrived a the hospital any later she would have died. The information should have frightened her, shocked her even, but it didn't. Somehow she had already known. When they had carted her off in the ambulance she had been ... well, not _ready_, because she didn't think she would ever be ready to die. But ... prepared. She had been prepared for the possibility that the vision of her mother crying over her might be the last thing she would see.

"Yeah," she muttered, watching her mother's shoulders begin to tremble as pressed their clasped hands up to her face. Kagome could feel her tears running down her wrist and it broke her heart. How much suffering had she put her family through? How long had they been held in limbo wondering if she would ever make it home? "We probably owe Dog a steak or something."

She didn't even know why she said it. Maybe it was the drugs. It was such an odd thing to even think about in such a heavy atmosphere. But, as Mama chuckled weakly, Kagome thought that maybe it was the perfect thing to say. The tears were still running down her mother's cheeks, but the wrinkles around her eyes were looking a little more like laugh lines and less like shadows. "Yes, I suppose we do. I'm sure he'll need it cooked as well."

Kagome smiled and, though it was sincere, it lacked her usual enthusiasm. She was beginning to feel tired again. Maybe she could convince the nurse to lay off some of the pain medications? She didn't like feeling so weak. "Of course. He strikes me as a medium rare kinda dog. Don't you think?"

Mama agreed with a smile, and Kagome's thoughts inadvertently changed to her other canine friend and the rest of their shard hunting group. They were always good with handling themselves, and it had only been a handful of weaker level demons. Surely Miroku would have had no trouble taking them out? Still, concern nibbled at her thoughts. "Has Inuyasha -?" There must be something about hospital rooms, because Kagome couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence either.

"He's come by," Mama answered, "He was very worried about you. I had to tell him several times that you were going to be alright but I'm not sure he really believes it." She averted her eyes, a guilty grimace crossing her features. "He wanted to see you, but ..."

Kagome instantly understood. Inuyasha in a hospital would spell all kinds of trouble. He'd probably think the machines keeping her alive were trying to eat her or something. "No, it's probably best that he didn't," she said, sighing. The image of Inuyasha unleashing his wind scar on the unsuspecting vitals machine wouldn't seem to leave her mind. That idiot would bring the whole hospital down. "Did he say if everyone was ok? Miroku was with me when I jumped through the well..."

Shaking her head, Mama gave her an apologetic look. "No, he didn't say. Honestly, I wasn't able to get very much information out of him. He was so focused on _you_." Her face darkened. "When he saw your coat - and with all the blood ..." She sighed sadly, leaning back into her plastic chair.

Letting loose a shaky breath, Kagome mumbled, "Idiot. Probably thinks it was his fault." That was no doubt what her beloved hanyou was thinking. He always seemed to blame himself whenever she was injured. Never mind the fact that she had been the one to drag Miroku through the dark just to ask his opinion on the whole Dog situation. If it was anyone's fault, it was hers.

She really hoped everyone was alright. It felt awful enough being responsible for everyone worrying so much about her.

Mama stayed eerily silent, her hands releasing her daughter's and laying limp in her lap. Unnerved, Kagome frowned. "Mama?"

"I was so angry with him." The confession came out as a guilty whisper. "I was so angry that he let you get hurt."

Something in her chest tightened uncomfortably. "Mama, it wasn't his fault. He wasn't even there," Kagome defended softly.

"I know. I do, I know." Her gaze turned to look out the window across the room. "I just needed someone to blame I guess. So when he came through the well and looked so guilty ... I guess I just decided if he could blame himself then I could blame him too."

No, oh no. Inuyasha was probably already on the verge of wringing his own neck. If he knew that Mama held him responsible it would be beyond disastrous. "Mama ... you didn't," Kagome swallowed thickly, there was a nervous buzz under her skin, "You didn't _say_ anything to him, did you?"

Immediately, the older women shook her head. "No, no of course not." Her eyes met her daughter's again, guiltily. "But I didn't comfort him either. I should have, but I didn't. It's terrible of me, I know it is. He's brought you home safe so many times ... but I'm just so **angry**."

Not knowing what to say (because really, was there anything she _could_ say to that?) Kagome laid a comforting, albeit cold hand over her mother's. Together they sat, both lost in their own regrets while the rhythmic beeping of the monitors insured that time continued to move around them.

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><p><strong>AN<strong>: Yup. You read that correctly. I'm on a (as Yusuke would say) mother fuckin' roll. Trying to update/upload one of my stories once a week. Cheers to accomplishing week 4 (5? I can't remember now).

Thanks as always for all the amazing reviews! You guys really lifted my spirits for that last chapter. Apparently I was being too hard on myself. :) I'm also super excited to have been gifted with some fan art for this story! Thanks inuluvskags1!

Check it out! (Just remvove the spaces!)

the-fanart-girl. deviantart art/The-Good-Dog-Name-Savvy- 468911040

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this one!


	20. Homecoming

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"_Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."_

_-Roger A. Caras_

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

**The Good Dog**

**Chapter #20**

**(:)(A)(:)**

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><p>Mrs. Higurashi considered herself to be a kind, patient, and forgiving mother.<p>

Certainly there were times when her patience wore thin and her words would be delivered more harshly than she would have liked. Though she made an effort to make sure those moments were few and far between because she knew she had wonderful children who would listen to what she told them, whether she did so with patience or frustration. Of course, at times she would have to repeat herself several times over before the message would get through because her children, while good, were certainly stubborn.

Kagome especially. Mrs. Higurashi sometimes teased that the first word out of her eldest child's mouth was 'please' (it wasn't, but she heard it so often that it might as well have been). She would find something she wanted and, when denied, would babble 'please' like the word had some kind of magic power to sway her mother's answer. Mrs. Higurashi admits - and she is not proud of this - that there were many occasions when it did. It was hard to continue to say no to that one piece of candy, that one little stuffed toy at the supermarket, when her daughter was looking up at her with those bright blue eyes and asking so _nicely_.

The way she used that one word ... Souta as a child had followed her lead and adopted the word for himself as well, but he never seemed to learn how to execute it like his older sister. When he said 'please' it was drawn out and exaggerated. When her answer was still 'no' it became an indignant whine, as if he couldn't for the life of him understand why the magic word hadn't worked. Kagome ... Kagome said the word like a prayer - full of blind hope and without temper. When denied she would just tilt her head and regard her. Sometimes she would ask again just to be sure, but other times she would ask _"why?"_ with such innocent confusion it melted just about every heart around her. In fact, the little girl had received several little trinkets and candies from shop owners who were no match against her charms.

At one point Mrs. Higurashi suspected that her daughter might just be a master at manipulating her and the other adults in her life. Before he passed away, her father was practically at the mercy of his little girl. Then again, _his_ father was no better. The thought had pushed her, as a young mother, to reevaluate her parenting skills. Perhaps they were promoting the behavior by giving into her whims as often as they did?

The thought had scared her, and Mrs. Higurashi found herself saying 'no' more often and sticking to it. But instead of dealing with the tantrums she had fully expected, Kagome only responded with confusion. _"Why not? I got to last time..."_

Needless to say, her concerns regarding her daughter (and her own parenting) were put to rest. However, Mrs. Higurashi still made a point to be just a little more strict when it came to denying the young girl the more frivolous things that she asked for because truly, there had to be a limit. She had also put into play the classic 'no means no' philosophy - once the decision was made there would be no whining, no _begging_, that would change her answer. Souta would sometimes still put up a bit of a fight time to time, but overall he too learned that any tantrum he threw would only serve to strengthen her resolve. Kagome though ... she _rarely_ had a problem with Kagome. Her eldest had always seemed to have a keen understanding on the matter. She knew that certain things were worth pushing for, and it was _not_ for things like the latest magazine or a new game.

But in all her years, Mrs. Higurashi couldn't remember her daughter pleading and pushing for anything as much as she did that dog.

The moment she had brought him home, she had known without a doubt that the creature would be cause for headache. Souta had always begged her for a dog and she had always been firm when saying "no" or "not now". Personally, she enjoyed dogs. She had her own as a child - a little thing not much bigger than Buyo - and she remembered how much fun she used to have playing with him. But, while they had plenty of space for such an animal, Mrs. Higurashi knew the amount of trouble those tail wagging creatures could get themselves into. She clearly remembered the amount of frustration her own mother felt when she was tasked with picking up shredded pieces of whatever that weeks toy was and constantly cleaning up after messes and accidents. Dogs were _work_, and Mrs. Higurashi simply did not have the time or energy to clean up after yet another someone. Her hands were full enough as they were juggling all of Souta's school and recreational activities and trying to manage Kagome's school excuses and never ending clothing needs.

So of course she was absolutely positive that her answer would not change in regards to a certain super-sized labrador staying.

That confidence all but evaporated into 'maybe' in the face of Kagome's pleading. Because ever since her first visit through the well, her daughter had asked so very little of her. Certainly she asked for help with supplies and Mrs. Higurashi was forced into several heated conversations with her principle about attendance, but it had been so very long since Kagome had asked for anything for just _herself_. Not because she needed it, or because it helped - just because she _wanted_.

Any loving mother wouldn't have stood a chance against her. Then to add in the fact that her daughter faced literal demons on a weekly basis and admitted to feeling alone in her own time ... No, Mrs. Higurashi had no choice but to bend at least a little. A strict 'no' would not suffice. Not when her daughter had seen so much pain, so much suffering. Such terrible things that she knew Kagome would never burden her with even though she was her _mother_ and she was suppose to be protecting _**her**_ from such horrors, not the other way around.

There had never been a time when she had been so thankful that she bent to her daughter's whims than with that large, sorry excuse for a dog.

She couldn't deny that she felt a sense of debt to the creature. Canine or not, had it not been for him her daughter - well, she tried not to think about how different her daughter's last moments would have been. The thought of her being alone in that well house, begging for help while her and the rest of their little family slept ... it tore her apart.

So when her daughter had jokingly commented that they owed Dog a steak for his trouble ... well, she had taken it a step further. He got his steak, medium rare just as her eldest had suggested, served to him on one of the family's regular dinner plates. Because Kagome was right. She owed that dog her daughter's life and, somehow, it didn't feel right to force him to eat his kibble when she could just as easily make just a bit more and include him in the family meals. Not surprisingly, he seemed quite enthusiastic about the change and always left his plate completely clean before he continued to wait at the window like he always did when Kagome was gone.

He had obviously been brooding, very much like another canine that had become very much apart of her daughters life. One whom, at the moment, managed to bring a bad taste to her mouth that was one part resentment and another part guilt.

She knew that she was being unreasonable. She _knew_. She was a kind and forgiving mother, but perhaps it was the 'mother' part that made her so angry, so _bitter_, towards Inuyasha. Kagome was her little girl and she had been so, so close to losing her. It could have all been avoided. In a perfect world Inuyasha would have been there to save her from the demons and deliver her back home safely, but he _wasn't_.

How could she ever fully and truly forgive him when a part of her - the part that was _**Mother**_ - would always see his face, hear his name, and think _there_. There's the man who almost let my daughter die.

She didn't know if she ever could.

She thought of the parents crying in the court rooms over their dead children and the foolish boy (nothing more than a child himself) being accused of murder because of a stupid, stupid mistake like drunk driving. At one point she knows she felt some sympathy for that foolish little boy who though he was so much older than he was. She pitied him for the emotional scars he must have and the loss of whatever childish innocence might have been left in that teenage body of his. _Poor boy_, she thought, _to lose so many years of his life for just one mistake._

She understood now, how those parents could look at someone so young with such hatred in their eyes. When it was your child ... nothing could make that person innocent. Not in a parent's eyes.

It was these thoughts that plagued her as the nurses helped Kagome into the passenger seat of her little tan Corolla and it was these thoughts that her mind drifted back to on the mostly silent ride home. Kagome, tired and lethargic from all her pain medication, drifted in and out of sleep. Somehow, despite her apparent exhaustion, Kagome woke up just as Mrs. Higurashi turned down their street as if the pull of home had roused her. Perhaps it had.

"Are you feeling better dear?" she asked, eyes momentarily straying from the road to evaluate her daughter. She almost breathed a sigh of relief when she was answered with a sincere, albeit tired, smile.

"A little. The pain killers just make me so sleepy, but I'm glad to be home."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded, her own little smile curling her lips. Kagome wasn't the only one excited that she was coming back. The whole house had been abuzz with energy before she left. "You have quite the welcoming committee waiting for you." Kagome responded with a laugh, but her mother couldn't help but notice how much weaker it sounded than normal.

When they pulled up to the house she could see the dog sitting patiently on the front porch, as if he had been waiting for their return. Perhaps he had been - that dog's intelligence had surprised her on more than one occasion. Looking over to her daughter, she saw her bright smile and knew that she had noticed him as well. A little frown pulled at her lips as she put the car in park. "He shouldn't be out …" Last thing they needed this week was to be scrambling around Tokyo looking for a run away dog.

Kagome shook her head, smile still in place. "It's ok Mama. He won't leave."

Mrs. Higurashi raised an eyebrow, turning the car off and placing the keys in her purse before opening her door. "You're sure about that?" Certainly, he had more or less proved himself by not leaving the shrine grounds the morning they had rushed Kagome to the hospital, but he was still a dog. He shouldn't be trusted on his own if they could help it.

"Yeah," her daughter said, her words breathy. "I'm sure." She turned to her mother, her smile softening and her eyes shining with emotion. "He's not going to leave us - I just know it."

Still a bit skeptical, but unwilling to try convincing her daughter otherwise, Mrs. Higurashi got out of their family's little sedan. As she walked around to the passenger side to help her daughter out, her eyes strayed to the porch and couldn't help but linger on the dog that had both interrupted and saved their lives. He was staring back at them. Or, rather, staring at her daughter if the direction of his gaze was any indication. He had stood up at some point and Mrs. Higurashi couldn't help but feel surprised that he still hadn't abandoned his spot on porch, instead he was patiently waiting.

Maybe Kagome's intuition wasn't too far off.

Helping her daughter out of the car, Mrs. Higurashi let the teenage girl lean on her arm for support as they slowly shuffled towards the front door. Still, Dog waited until they reached the top step before moving towards them.

She watched, almost mesmerized, as her daughter sank to her knees with a wince and gently wrapped her arms around the dog and gave a little kiss to his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, her arms tightening around him. "Thank you so much." The canine didn't move, as if he knew that doing so would risk her being in pain. He just stood there, letting her hold him until she was ready to let go. There was something in his eyes though, something knowing, something warm, and Mrs. Higurashi realized at that moment what her daughter had been trying to tell her all along.

Dog wasn't normal. He didn't eat kibble and he wouldn't play fetch, but there was a presence in him. Something that made her feel that he was more than aware of what was going on around him. Perhaps it was the way he looked at Kagome - it wasn't with the complete, blinding adoration and love that dogs have for their masters. No, it was more like the caring caress of a concerned friend. Her pain, her sadness ... it darkened his eyes the same way it did Souta's and Grandfather's.

The same way it did _hers_.

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head, watching as her daughter slowly released Dog from her embrace and gave him the brightest smile she'd had in days.

No, Dog certainly wasn't normal, but maybe that was a good thing. Maybe him being odd was what made Kagome like him so much. Maybe him being different was what saved her daughter's _life_. Maybe it was like that old woman in the park had babbled to Kagome after all.

Maybe he really _was_ made to protect her.

She let her mouth curve into a soft smile and helped her daughter up after gently caressing Dog's ear. As she opened the front door and carefully guided Kagome into the house her mind was distracted by other, more festive things.

Christmas was in three days after all, and she had one more present to wrap.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> You guys. I'm like ... in awe. I just discovered that you can search based off of follows and favs now when you're looking through the archive (seriously, did you know that? Because I _so_ didn't know that) and found out that this story right here is the 3rd most followed in the entire YYH/IY archive. Not just Yus/Kag. THE ENTIRE ARCHIVE. I'm just - how do I even -

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, _thank you_. Seriously, I don't even have the words. I think I might be going into some kind of happiness induced coma because I'm still staring at the screen and it hasn't gone "just kidding!" and started laughing at me yet.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter - it was kinda a last minute decision to put something in Mrs.H's point of view. I wish I could tell you it was to "show off the dimensional qualities of Mrs. Higurashi's character" or something really smart like that, but honestly the whole thing kinda just came about because writing about Christmas morning when it's 95 degrees out feels ridiculously wrong on all kinds of levels and is taking a _tad_ longer than expected.

The wait will be worth it though. I promise. A certain major change will be unfolding in the next chapter (one that I'm sure a lot of you have been waiting for).

Hopefully my stalling still made some kind of addition to the story instead of looking like a desperate attempt to fish for more time?

As always, your feedback is always looked forward to and appreciated!


	21. The Gift

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"_No matter how close we are to another person, few human relationships are as free from strife, disagreement, and frustration as is the relationship you have with a good dog. Few human beings give of themselves to another as a dog gives of itself. I also suspect that we cherish dogs because their unblemished souls make us wish - consciously or unconsciously - that we were as innocent as they are, and make us yearn for a place where innocence is universal and where the meanness, the betrayals, and the cruelties of this world are unknown." _

― Dean Koontz, _A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog_

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

**The Good Dog**

**Chapter #21**

**(:)(A)(:)**

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><p>Yusuke had never been big on the whole Christmas thing.<p>

In fact, the only thing he really looked forward to about Christmas was the two week break and the occasional party. Maybe it was because his mom and him never really celebrated ... She was always too drunk and too poor to ever put much of an effort into gifts or even decorations so the day kinda just passed like any other with the exception of exchanging a muttered "_Merry Christmas_" in the morning before he headed out to the arcade.

(Seriously, if you want an entire arcade all to yourself go Christmas morning and be amazed).

Since joining up with the Spirit Detectives the holiday had become a bit more festive than a pocket full of quarters and the echoes of PacMan's depressing death jingle (fucking ghosts). The gang usually all got together at Genkai's on Christmas Eve and exchanged some laughs over hot chocolate. Keiko and him had started exchanging gifts Christmas morning last year when they had officially become a couple but it was a small, private affair between the two of them. Nothing big, nothing fancy.

So imagine his surprise when, in a matter of seconds, the Higurashi's living room seemed to have been victimized by some kind of christmas colored confetti **bomb**.

Not even exaggerating.

Souta was tearing into his presents with full gusto (manic grin included) but Mrs. H must have done some wrapping job because the paper was tearing off in strips instead of sheets. The rest of the little family followed his lead, albeit with more control and (in Kagome's case) an occasional pained wince as her stitches pulled.

Yusuke winced with her, knowing from personal experience that abdominal wounds were nasty little buggers when it came to healing. No doubt she'd be sore for at least a few more weeks. She was being a champ about it though ... he'd give her that. The morning she finally came back home Yusuke had watched her toss her bottle of pain medication in her nightstand drawer and hadn't touched it since. When her mother (seeing her daughters pained grimaces despite Kagome's best efforts to hide them) insisted that she take something for the discomfort the girl would just shake her head. _"They make me too sleepy,"_ she had said, _"I want to be with everyone, not passed out in a coma in my room." _

He understood her reluctance - really he did - but he wished that she would at least cut the stubborn act and take something for the pain at night. She'd only been home two days and already dark rings were beginning to bruise the fragile skin under her eyes. She wasn't sleeping enough. Most of her nights consisted of cautious shifting and turning as she struggled to find a comfortable position that didn't even exist.

Last night Yusuke had woken up to find that she had pretty much given up on the idea of sleep entirely. Instead of being tucked into her bed he found her sitting in her desk chair, staring out her window just as the sky was beginning to lighten into gray. Even without following her line of sight, Yusuke knew she was staring at the well house. She had been sneaking casual glances to it since she had arrived back home whenever she knew her family wasn't there witness it. Of course, being that that he couldn't really SAY anything about it, she had no issues about staring out at the wooden structure while he was around.

Sometimes he couldn't help but think that - in some ways - he understood her the more than anyone else in that house.

She was always so busy _pretending_ for everyone. She'd plaster on these smiles that didn't always reach her eyes and laugh just a little too loudly even when she had the entire world weighing down on her. Even now, she tried so hard to hide the amount of pain she was in just so her family could be spared from a little bit of concern for her. Maybe it was because the act wasn't directed towards him, but he suspected it was really just because sucking it up and smiling through the pain is something he's mastered too and he knows what he's seeing when he sees it.

Then again, maybe it was just the fact that she never bothered spare him from the truth.

Whatever the reason, he spotted the way her eyes would glaze over when they landed on the well house as easily as he would notice a demon on a playground. At first the observation made him anxious. Any normal person would look at that wooden shack and see an empty grave after what she had been through. It wasn't until he saw the worried pull of her brow and the nervous tugging of her bottom lip between her teeth, that Yusuke was reminded that Kagome Higurashi was anything but normal.

Instead of being plagued by nightmarish memories she was weighed down by worry for the friends she had left behind.

There was a definite irony in the way she could worry about people who were technically already dead (according to the present times standards) instead of herself. Though, if he let himself dwell on it, he kinda understood. They were as good as dead to him but for Kagome, who split her life between the two different time periods, they _were_ still as alive as any of his own comrades. Then again, it was really only her concern over a particular dog demon that irritated him.

Inuyasha had come by several times while Kagome was still in the hospital and not at all since she had returned home. When he had come, Yusuke found himself listening in on the short (almost curt) conversation he had with Kagome's mother. He wanted to know what the fuck happened. He wanted to know why the fuck the dog demon had leapt through the well virtually unscathed (_hours_ later) when Kagome could barely drag herself out. Mrs. H wanted to understand too. He could hear it in the way the older woman's words clipped at the edges and the long silences that followed the demon's guilty mutterings of "_I should have been there_".

Yusuke had barely been able to restrain himself from bounding down the porch steps and (literally) ripping the guy a new one. Because no fucking shit he should have been there. He should have been there and he should have protected her.

He should have saved her.

Inuyasha had wanted to see her, to see with his own eyes and feel with his own hands that she was alright, but Mrs. H had shot him down without so much as a blink of an eye. _"You need to let her rest Inuyasha,"_ was all it took, and dog boy didn't dare to so much as bring it up again. Even he must have heard the implication in those words - '_stay away_'.

For the most part he did. He kept himself away and only returned several times to ask how Kagome was doing before tucking his tail between his legs and running back to his time.

While Mrs. H's attitude towards dog breath seemed to have turned into something bordering between resentment and pity, her opinion of Yusuke had obviously improved.

A few days after crying into his coat the older woman had arrived home after visiting Kagome, a grocery bag in her hand and a secretive little smile playing on her lips. That night, instead of dog food in a bowl, she served him steak on one of the family's plates with only a "Kagome thought you would like it medium rare" as an explanation. Since then, short of actually sitting at the table, he shared every meal with the little family and _damn_. He knew that woman could cook just from the table scraps that Souta fed him, but a full meal?

Fucking heaven.

Other than Kagome coming home, those meals had been the only thing he had really looked forward to those two weeks. If he still had the use of words he would have thanked Mrs. H just for that little break from perpetual waiting, let alone the meal.

He was dragged from his thoughts by a single pat to his head and then the sensation of something sticky being left behind. Looking up he saw Kagome's bright, albeit tired, face smiling down at him. "There you go, now you're dressed for the occasion!"

Immediately suspicious, he swiped a paw over his head and grumbled when it came back with a snowman themed bow. Kagome gave a half hearted cry of despair but laughed when he shot her an exasperated look.

Did he mention that he wasn't all that big on the whole Christmas thing?

She scratched behind his ears in what he knew was an attempt at a silent apology and he laid down at the foot of the couch to watch Souta tear into the last remaining present. Mrs. H was already bumbling around and beginning to pick up the discarded scraps of wrapping paper from the floor while Gramps admired his 'lucky cat' shaped coffee mug with a toothy grin.

Souta cheered, a new video game in hand as he gushed about how all the other kids at school were going to be so jealous. "Thanks Kagome! You're the best!"

Kagome smiled from her reclined spot on the couch. "What kind of sister would I be if I let my little brother go back to school without the latest cool game?"

The kid beamed. "It has a two player option, we should play it together while you get better!"

She laughed, a teasing look in her eye. "Only if you promise not to whine when I'm better than you!"

Yusuke's ears perked at that. He hadn't known that Kagome enjoyed video games let alone was _good_ at them. Then again, he knew from experience how much free time hero's actually got when they were busy saving the world ...

The correct answer is: none.

"You're on!" Souta exclaimed, hands tearing into the clear package wrap so that he could retrieve the game disk. "I call the red controller!"

"Hold on for just a moment Souta," Mrs. Higurashi interrupted, sharing a look and a smile with the old man. "There's one more present for you and Kagome to unwrap."

While Souta cheered enthusiastically, Kagome blinked up at her mother in confusion. "Mama, what are you talking about? That was the last one under the tree."

Mrs. H's smile brightened, a sly gleam lighting up her eyes as she pulled a tiny, silver wrapped box from her robe pocket. "I know dear, but I wanted this one to be opened last so I held onto it." She handed it to Kagome, and Yusuke watched curiously as stared down at it.

Souta hovered over her shoulder, excitement seeming to thrum under his skin as he fidgeted. "Don't just stare at it Kagome! Open it!"

She laughed, and Yusuke couldn't help but notice that even though it was honest, it was weak and just slightly strained. No doubt she was already running out of precious energy. Still, she valiantly tried to keep up a bright demeanor for her family's sake (like she always did). "Ok, ok! I'm going!"

Her hands made careful work of tearing off the paper and Yusuke couldn't help but roll his eyes at the way her fingers patiently pulled away the edges. Kagome literally unwrapped her presents, apparently having issues with following Souta's example and just shredding the decorated paper. Then again, looking at the mess of littered wrapping paper that was scattered haphazardly around the living room, Yusuke had to admit that her method sure as hell left a lot less clean up.

Yusuke watched as the paper fell away and revealed an unassuming white box and he had to keep himself from snorting - he never did understand why people went through the trouble of wrapping something if it came in a blank box anyway. Kagome shared a quick glance with her younger brother (who was, at this point, practically vibrating with pent up excitement) before lifting the lid.

For a moment there was complete silence as the siblings stared into the box and then suddenly Souta was squealing, rushing over to his mother and throwing his arms around her waist. A stream of thank you's were pouring out of his mouth at such a rate that the words were blending together into a string of blabbered syllables. Mrs. H only responded with a happy smile and Gramps chuckled good naturedly on the couch.

Kagome was just staring down at the box, the widest grin on her face while tears stuck to the corner of her long lashes. "Thank you," she whispered, "Thank you so much."

Yusuke frowned. Since when did Christmas presents bring out _that_ kind of reaction? Just what the hell was in that box?

He watched curiously as Kagome's nimble fingers plucked the gift from the box and his eyes got a glimpse of shiny metal. When she turned it in her hand and he got a clearer view he almost scoffed. It was just a circular piece of flat, reflective metal. What the hell was so great about that? Really, the thing just looked like one of those cheap metal tags you got from the pet sto-

Oh.

Holy shit.

It was a _dog tag_.

Brain muddled with the implications of what came with that one little scrap of metal, Yusuke numbly obeyed when Kagome called him over. Her fingers were shaky with what he knew was a combination of pain and fatigue as she leaned over to attach the tag to his collar, but Yusuke couldn't help but notice that her eyes hadn't looked this bright - this happy - in days.

"Welcome to the family!"

He'd be lying if he said those words didn't make a tiny part of him feel pleasantly warm, but he'd deny it with his very last breath because the last thing he needed was for the world to think he was a sap. The jokes about him calling a girl half his size 'master' was going to be enough of a running joke when he returned home.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of home cooked meals, video games, lighthearted trash talk between siblings, and hot chocolate (the one thing Mrs. H refused to give him since "chocolate was bad for dogs"). The entire time Yusuke watched Kagome with a careful eye, catching her nodding off only twice despite the sleepy shadows under her eyes, and found himself wondering what was next.

He had secured a place in the Higurashi family, which was great. It meant he didn't have to worry about being separated from Kagome prematurely. But the old hag's words echoed in his head, _"He is your protector." _

Pulling her from that well house ... that didn't really count as protecting, did it?

He didn't know for sure, but he suspected that it didn't. If it had then shouldn't he have been turned back by now? There had to be something else. Koenma was a spoiled brat of a boss but he wouldn't just forget about him - he would have demanded that he be pulled out the moment his mission was over.

That night he followed her up the stairs (making a point to walk right beside her just in case she tripped). He turned away when she changed into her pajamas and let her use his back to steady her as she made the painful climb onto her mattress and slipped between the sheets. For a while she just stroked his ears as her eyelids grew heavier by each passing second. "I'm glad you don't have to leave..." she mumbled, before sleep took her.

Yusuke sat there, eyes tracing her face, his pulse pounding in his ears as the guilt heavy realization came to him. To Kagome that shiny new tag on his collar, the one that dubbed him as 'Dog', meant that he was there for good. She didn't know that the man underneath wouldn't be able to stay by her side forever.

Another, larger wave of guilt (and a more than a little bit of shame) hit him moments later when he realized that he kinda wished he could.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> In a perfect world this would have been timed perfectly and it would be December instead of September. It's kinda killing me right now writing about Christmas when it's 90 degrees outside...

I didn't even realize that some of you might have thought that the 'change' I was hinting about last chapter was Yusuke turning human again. My bad! The change I guess I've been so excited for this emotional shift that I completely forgot about that other change everyone is expecting!

And, because this has already been addressed by some of you, I want to just kind of justify my position on this. This IS a Yusuke/Kagome story. Being that, I think a lot of people expected me to just find some way of getting rid of Keiko. It would be easy to just write her off as a bitch or make her break up with him and leave him heartbroken so that Kagome could pick up the pieces. Hell, it'd be easy to even kill her off.

But that's the point. It'd be EASY.

I didn't want to take the easy route on this because making this black and white would make it just that much less real. So, yeah.

**ALSO**! I was having a discussion with fellow author Dark Shining Light (she writes some lovely Fairy Tail fics - go check her out if you enjoy that fandom) and we have noticed something rather tragic about as of late so we are starting a movement.

Go look at some of your favorite fics. Look at the amount of reviews and then look at the amount of favs and follows. Is it just me, or are there a whole lot of wonderful stories that have double (sometimes even more) favs/follows than actual reviews? Don't get me wrong - I appreciate the favs and follows myself (as I have said last chapter the fact that this story is as followed as much as it is makes me feel warm and tingly inside) but at the end of the day most of us authors are posting our stories so we can get feed back. Those favs and follows? They just read as numbers. In a review I see a person. I LOVE seeing your guys' reactions to my chapters. If there was no review system ... well, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction at all. I'd be writing something original that I could at least have the chance of making some money for my efforts.

Reviews ARE a fanfic author's payment.

I am guilty of not always reviewing, I know. It is something that I have been working at remedying. Especially with one shots. It is SO easy to enjoy a one shot and just move on because, hey, it's not like it's ever going to update. Sometimes, as readers, even us authors forget the time and effort it takes even for a short drabble. And they DO take effort. I know I probably spent a good five hours (at least) agonizing over_ Love Bleeds The Color Red_ even though it was less than a thousand words.

Writers are taking time out of their lives and taking little pieces of themselves (because lets face it, writing is a personal thing) and putting it out there in the form of a story. If other authors are anything like me then they are probably waiting eagerly for those little emails to come through with responses.

So lets start a movement - authors and readers alike. If you like a story enough to fav/follow then you should like it enough to take a few extra minutes to review at least once. Lets all try to be people instead of just a number.

End o' rant.

Note: please don't take this as me being a review whore (I mean, I AM. But that's not why I'm posting this). If you can't manage to fully adopt this idea then I hope you'll at least make an effort in reviewing other author's works. We have so many wonderful budding writers out there that just need the encouragement to keep on writing. Please, PLEASE give them that encouragement.

To the people who do review: Thank you. I want you to realize that if it were not your words of encouragement throughout the years that I wouldn't even be half the writer I am today - I mean that. I wouldn't be able to call myself a writer if you all hadn't been there every step of the way to keep pushing me forward. This chapter is for you guys!


	22. The Helpless

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"_I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source." _

― _Doris Day_

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

**The Good Dog**

**Chapter#22**

**(:)(A)(:)**

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><p>Kagome was worried, and (she admitted) a little irritated too.<p>

Four days. She had been back home for eight days and she hadn't seen hide nor hair of her favorite hanyou.

She sighed, letting her head fall back to rest against the wizened trunk of the Goshinboku and looked up into its bare branches. Momma had relayed the information that Miroku and everyone else had emerged from the battle relatively unscathed, but she knew Inuyasha had the habit of down playing those sorts of things. To him an injury wasn't critical unless a limb was lost. One of the others could be smothered in bandages and, as long as they were out of danger from death, he would shrug it off as a scratch. He had the tendency to forget that human bodies didn't take the same kind of beating that his did. Then again, she suspected that even if he did recognize any of them as being seriously injured he still probably wouldn't have told her, let alone her mother.

Her head rolled to the side and her eyes landed longingly at the well house. The anxiety in her gut was building every day that the hanyou failed to show up. It twisted her insides and made the pain from her wound ache even more. Worse, even if she ignored the worry for her friends well being, she was plagued with the irrational feeling of abandonment. She knew that Inuyasha wasn't staying away because he _wanted_ to, she knew better than to ever believe that. No doubt it was his unfounded feelings of guilt that kept him away. Knowing him the way she did, Kagome was sure that he had somehow found a way to twist his reality into one where staying away was 'helping her'. The idiot.

She was tempted to jump through the well just so she could soothe her fears, but she knew better. With her wound still healing she would be a sitting duck the moment she arrived on the other side. Plus, if she was honest with herself, part of her was afraid to enter the well house without someone there beside her. It was stupid, but she felt the cold hand of terror rake down her spine whenever she so much as thought of returning to the past without Inuyasha. She wasn't strong enough. If she had realized anything while she was bleeding out onto the well house floor, helpless and desperately trying to reach for the door, it was that.

She wasn't strong enough - not on her own.

Not yet.

She had always known that she was the weakest in their little rag tag group of misfit jewel hunters. Inuyasha had his demonic strength and even little Shippo had his bag of tricks and illusions to aide him. Miroku had his wind tunnel that, while a curse, was still a lethal force on the battlefield. Even Sango - her dear, strong, battle worn friend - was still a powerful opponent without the use of demon blood or a cursed weapon. Kagome had leaned on them for far too long. She was tired of being the victim, the damsel in distress.

She was determined to change.

When that demon's talon pierced through her stomach it was a wake up call. Kagome had always known that death was surrounding her in the feudal era - she saw it in the dull eyes of the bodies that were too often piled along the roadways - but she had never been on the receiving end of its cold hand. She never wanted to feel that sort of terror, that _helplessness_, ever again. When the time came where she brushed up against death again she wanted to feel like she at least had a fighting chance. She didn't want one of her last thoughts to have been that she should have trained and tried harder.

With her injury, she couldn't do too much without the risking more damage, but once she was healed she was determined to start training seriously. She had a few more weeks at least before she would be able to pick up her bow, but she figured that shouldn't stop her from at least meditating. Which was why she had come out to sit under the sacred tree in the first place. Only, it was kinda cold and she had stopped feeling her butt half an hour ago.

And meditating had never really been her strong suit to begin with.

Kagome groaned. "Focus. I need to focus!" She pinched her cheeks in hopes that it would get her wandering mind back on track. A few yards away, Dog seemed to raise his brows at her childish display. "Dang it. Why does meditating have to be part of having priestess powers anyway? Inuyasha doesn't have to meditate in order to destroy stuff!"

Dog snorted, and Kagome thought it sounded like a cross between amusement and contempt. He had seemed pretty moody lately. Then again he was probably getting tired of pretending to be her shadow. Ever since she had come home, he had faithfully followed her pretty much everywhere save the bathroom. It was actually kind of sweet. She'd take his hovering over her mother's any day - at least Dog was quiet and subtle about his fussing. Her mother had become quite obvious in her concern. Kagome had to spend a good ten minutes convincing her that sitting outside for a while to meditate wasn't going to kill her. She _definitely_ wasn't looking forward to when the conversation of going back through the well came up.

"You know, you don't have to wait with me. There's a nice warm house right over there," she said, moving one of her legs out from under her and wincing as the skin across her stomach pulled. Dog looked to the house and back to her pointedly. That she could interpret his thoughts by just a look should probably scare her, but somehow she had just come to accept it. "I'm not done yet. I need to get this meditating thing figured out."

He sighed, his breath coming out in a puff of clouded wisps, and raised himself off the ground. Padding towards her, Kagome thought that he planned to sit next to her and internally cheered at the idea of some extra body heat. Unfortunately her dreams were dashed when he stopped in front of her and gently nudged her shoulder in what was obviously an attempt to convince her to get up. She gave him a stubborn glare to which he matched without hesitation.

After a few (measly) moments, she sighed. "Alright. _Fine_. I'll just work on it more tomorrow," she grumbled. Dog snorted, as if doubting if she would actually manage to drag herself out into the cold again to meditate. Kagome inwardly cringed, glancing towards the warm, inviting house. Maybe it would be better if she worked on her meditation inside before braving the weather again...

Yeah, that would probably be a good plan.

Careful not to pull her stitches, she used both the trunk of the sacred tree at her back and Dog to help support her while she inched her way up from the ground. There was a dull ache in her abdomen as she did so, but she withheld her grimace by biting her lip. If Mama was watching her from the window (which she highly suspected) she didn't want to give her any excuse to hole her up in her room.

Once she was fully standing, she gave Dog a thankful pat on the head and slowly made her way up the porch steps and into the house. Mama, as Kagome expected, was working on the same sink full of dishes that she was nearly an hour ago. The girl raised her eyebrows knowingly. "Still doing dishes?"

Mrs. Higurashi didn't even flinch. Then again, Kagome didn't really expect her to. "Oh, yes. They seem to be particularly bad tonight."

She hummed skeptically, but let her mother off the hook. "Well, I think I'm going to go to bed early." It was only half past six, but she felt exhausted. She hadn't been sleeping well due to the pain from her injury.

Mama, of course, knew this. She spared her daughter an evaluating glance before nodding. "Ok dear. Why don't you take one of your pills tonight? At least to help you sleep?"

Kagome nodded, but had no intention of even touching her medication bottle. As much as it helped with her discomfort, she only seemed to wake up even _less_ rested when she was on it. The dreams they brought on were worse than any fitful sleep.

They exchanged their goodnights and she popped her head into the living room to exchange similar sentiments with her grandfather and brother before heading to her room. As always, Dog walked carefully alongside her as she made her way up the steps - as if ready to catch her should she stumble.

Once she made it to her room, she barely made it into her pajamas before she crawled into bed. Maybe it was because she was so behind in her sleep - or maybe it was the meditating - but Kagome found herself drifting off to sleep faster than the previous nights. The sky was just beginning to darken when her eyes fluttered closed and she let the dark, dreamless sleep embrace her.

The sound of snarls and shouting abruptly jolted her awake. A shot of adrenaline shot straight to her heart and she ignored the pain in her abdomen as she sat up. Without the moon to lend its light, her room was pitch black and she was completely blind. Franticly, fingers groped for her bedside lamp, knocking over her glass of water and something else - her clock maybe - in her haste.

Dog was still growling deeply and she heard a crash followed quickly by yelp of pain from the intruder. Was someone trying to hurt her? They must be, right? Who else would come into a girl's room in the middle of the night?

"Damn it! Get off me!"

Oh. Right.

Inuyasha would.

Her fingers found the switch and, sure enough, as the light filled her little room she was greeted with the image of a human Inuyasha on the floor. Dog hovered over him, his teeth firmly attached to the man's wrist. Blood was running down his arm, soaking the hem of his haori. "Dog, no!"

The look in Dog's eyes could easily be interpreted into 'you gotta be kidding'. Kagome couldn't really blame him - for all he knew he was doing his job and protecting her from some sort of sick bastard that liked to crawl through girls windows at night. She was about to soothe him, tell him that everything was alright, but the sound of running feet slapping across the hallway floors and the opening of her door interrupted her.

"Kagome! Are -" Souta stood in the doorway, his hair disheveled from sleep and his face pale. As his eyes landed on the two figures in her room the tension in his shoulders and the terrified edge in his brown eyes softened. The metal baseball bat he had gripped in his hand, ready to strike, loosened until the tip bounced off the ground. "Oh. Hi Inuyasha." He frowned. "You know, you should really come during the daytime."

Inuyasha growled, his eyes still burning holes into Dog's forehead. "Yeah," he said through gritted teeth, "I'll keep that in mind next time."

Dog, apparently realizing that the so called intruder wasn't a threat after all, reluctantly released Inuyasha's arm. With a grumbled growl, he backed up until he sat between her and the hanyou, his eyes never leaving the later. Kagome pat his head, relieved that she didn't have to pry him off of Inuyasha's arm.

Another racing pair of feet rapidly approached and soon her mother was hovering behind Souta in the doorway, her eyes wide and frightened. Her terrified expression quickly hardened into anger as she spotted Inuyasha on the floor. "What on _**Earth**_ -

"Mama," Kagome said, quickly trying to diffuse her mother's rage. "Can you get the bandages? He's bleeding."

Inuyasha scoffed, but there was no real feeling behind it. He was looking away from them, his shoulders hunched. If he had his ears, Kagome knew they would be pinned flat to his skull. "I'm fine."

Both Kagome and Souta shared a look with their mother and the older woman quickly relented with a sigh. "I'll be back in a moment. Souta, go back to bed. You have school in the morning." Her brother looked like he was going to protest, but Mrs. Higurashi merely nudged him out of the doorway with a firm look that clearly said not to test her. With one last glance at Kagome, they were both gone.

For a moment everything was quiet save for receding footsteps, and Inuyasha took the moment to fold his legs under him and tuck his hands into his sleeves. He still didn't meet her eyes as he broke the awkward silence between them. "How are you healing?" he asked. His voice was gruff, but Kagome could hear the underlying concern beneath it.

"It's doing well." She bit her lip, her eyes darkening. "How is everyone else?

He frowned, seeming surprised that she asked. "They're all fine." His violet eyes met hers. "I told your mom ...

A smile, not quite amused but somehow still honest, twitched at the corner of her mouth. "I didn't know if you were just saying that or not. You have the tendency to lie when you know it will make me feel better."

A light blush dusted his cheeks and he looked away in embarrassment. "Yeah, well, not this time. No one else is hurt."

She nodded, believing him. "I'm glad."

Another moment of silence, this one even more awkward than the last. They both knew what was coming. "I'm sorry I wasn't -"

She cut him off. "It wasn't your fault Inuyasha. No one blames you." He opened his mouth - no doubt to argue - but Mrs. Higurashi's steps stopped him. As she appeared in the doorway, clean bandages in hand, Kagome watched as Inuyasha bit into his bottom lip and turned away, and felt her heart sinking in her chest.

He knew. He knew her mother didn't find him as innocent as she did.

She swallowed thickly, her throat suddenly feeling dry as her mother stepped into the room. "I'll take them Mama." Her mother's eyebrows rose skeptically.

"Kagome, you shouldn't be -"

"I'll be careful, I promise. I'm the best at bandaging." Her mother flinched openly at that and, while Kagome didn't find any satisfaction in reminding her mother that there were many occasions where she'd had to learn the art of wrapping wounds, she knew the comment was the most likely to get her mother to listen.

Mrs. Higurashi frowned, obviously still disapproving, but nodded reluctantly. Carefully handing the bundle of bandages into her daughter's waiting hands, she gave her serious look. "Call for me if you need help."

Kagome nodded. "I will."

Her mother gave one last departing glance to both of them before leaving and shutting the door behind her. Again, silence fell heavily between them and Kagome sighed. "Would you mind coming here?" She gestured towards her bed with a strained smile. "Bending over is still a bit difficult."

Inuyasha huffed, his arms still crossed stubbornly over his chest. "I told you I'm fine. In a few hours it'll be nothing."

She rolled her eyes. "Well it's not nothing _now_, is it?" When he still resisted she scowled. "Inuyasha, if you don't get over here right now I'm going to sit you so hard you'll end up downstairs."

He scoffed. "You wouldn't do that while I'm human."

The glare she sent made him flinch. "Do you really want to test that theory?" For a moment he seemed to consider it, but he quickly picked himself off her floor with a grumbled curse. She smiled. "_Thank you_."

"Whatever, just didn't want to hear you bitch about it any more," he muttered irritably, taking a step towards her.

Dog gave a deep, rumbling growl and Kagome chastised him with a flick to his ear. "Hey! That's enough!" His face swung to her, seeming more surprised than repentant. At her firm look he huffed, trudging away from her before collapsing in a heap of indignant anger in the opposite corner of the room. His eyes burned in their intensity as he watched them and Kagome shook her head with a sigh. Between him and Inuyasha she was bound to have a headache before she was able to go back to sleep.

Inuyasha's nose crinkled. "Your mutt's weird."

The low growl from the black mass of fur in the corner was obvious. Kagome rolled her eyes. "Will you just shut up and get over here? I'd like to get some sleep tonight."

Immediately, he looked properly chastised. He held out his arm and pushed his sleeve back to his elbow so she could survey the damage. Kagome cringed - Dog hadn't been merciful on him. If it wasn't for Inuyasha's demon blood, he'd no doubt need a dozen or more stitches. Quietly, she started binding his forearm. It was only when she was half way done that he spoke again, his voice soft.

"I should have been there."

For a moment her hands paused, and then she continued at the same pace. "You can't be there all the time Inuyasha." Her eyes lifted to meet his pointedly. "I'm sure the others have told you the same thing." He looked away and she knew she was right. "Once I'm done healing I'm going to focus more on getting stronger. I even did some meditating today - if you can call it that." She laughed lightly, knowing she was babbling but not really caring. It felt like it had been so long since she had last been able to talk to him. "I'm sure it wasn't up to Miroku's standards, but I'll get there."

His mouth tightened into a grimace, and for a moment she thought maybe she had done the last binding a little too tight. But his voice interrupted her before she could ask. "I've been thinking ..."

She raised a brow, a teasing smile on her lips. "Sounds dangerous."

He huffed, but there was little feeling behind it. "Yeah, whatever." His voice lowered, the usual gruff edge in his voice softening. "I just - I think you should stay here for a while."

She gave a little laugh. "No kidding. It's going to be a few weeks before I'm healed enough to even think about coming back Inuyasha." She tied the end of the bandage securely at his wrist and gave him a little smile. "I know I can't go back yet, even if I want to."

He stared down at his bandaged arm, rubbing at his wrist. "I ... wasn't talking about till you were just done healing ..."

In her chest she could feel her heart plummet as his meaning sank in. "Wait - you mean?"

He must have heard the pain lacing her voice because he winced, still not meeting her eyes. "There aren't that many jewel shards left anyway, and the battle with Naraku is going to happen soon - I can smell it. So, maybe it would be best if you just stayed home."

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Hurt was beginning to bleed into anger. "This is my battle too! I broke the jewel! It's my respons-"

"It isn't!" he snapped, his eyes meeting hers. "You've done your part Kagome. The rest is on us," he paused, as if steeling himself, "It's our era to protect - just like this is yours."

He may as well have struck her. "Time is linked Inuyasha! Fighting for the past saves my present!"

"But it isn't your responsibility! You belong _here_."

"I _belong_ wherever I damn well please!" she snapped, struggling to keep her voice from raising any higher in volume. The last thing she needed was for her mother to come storming in and demanding answers. She inhaled shakily, trying to calm herself. "I'm going back. When I'm healed - I'm going. You can't stop me."

His eyes, already darker than she was used to, shadowed. "I'm leaving the shards with you. That way ... when everything is over, I can come get you." He closed his eyes, his mouth tightening into a grim line. "But I swear to the gods Kagome, if you come back before that ... I'll take the shards and I'll send you right back through. And I'll - I'll destroy the well. Tessaiga is strong enough to do it."

She stared at him. In her chest her heart stuttered painfully. He couldn't possibly mean that - he just couldn't. Only, the way he wouldn't meet her eyes, and the way the muscle in his jaw clenched, all said that he was perfectly serious. Suddenly her throat felt tight and the air tasted thinner.

"What do the others think?" she whispered. His silence was answer enough. She shook her head, a soft laugh clawing its way out of her throat and leaving a bitter after taste on her tongue. "You didn't even ask them," her eyes met his, burning with intensity, "did you?"

He stood up from his crouched position, his hands laying limply at his sides. "It's for the best."

"It isn't just your decision."

"I know," he said, looking down at her. Seeing the soft concern in his eyes, she almost hated him. "But I'm making it anyways."

A tear, then two, slipped past her lids and tumbled down her cheeks and she wiped them away with furious hands. He didn't help stop them, didn't apologize, instead he murmured a soft 'see you later' and turned his back on her to walk towards the open window.

Bitterness burned in her chest. "I'll never forgive you for this," she whispered. More tears wet her lashes, and in her chest her heart felt as if it was fracturing, because the words felt terrifyingly true.

He paused, one leg already dangling through the threshold, before he nodded. "I know." Then he was gone - leaving nothing but a few spots of blood stains on her carpet to ever show that he was there. Her heart hurt so much that she barely registered the pain from her injury as she thew herself into her pillow and sobbed. From the corner of the room, Dog remained frozen. His expression was so lost - so conflicted - that when she lifted her eyes from her dampened pillowcase, it brought on a whole new onslaught of desperate tears.

She was back in the well house, feeling hopeless and scared - only everything was different. Underneath her was the softness of her mattress in place of the hard wooden floorboards. Instead of her stomach it was her chest that was pierced, and she was bleeding tears instead of blood. Inuyasha, instead of being absent, was the one who delivered the wound. Only one thing remained the same.

As she reached out a trembling hand, tears wet against her cheeks, Dog was the one who came to save her.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> So, this was going to be out only a week after my last update because I was just SO impressed by the response you guys gave for the last chapter. Seriously. Not only were there double the amount of reviews, but the reviews themselves were all so WONDERFUL.

And then, when the chapter was almost completed, I lost all of it and more since I'm a complete moron and didn't back my stuff up. Needless to say, rewriting was more than difficult. Especially since it was not only for this fic, but for "Ignite" as well.

And then Tumblr happened ... No. Seriously. Someone drag my ass off of Tumblr. Uhg. It's like reliving all of your fandom feels every few minutes. I feel like I've reblogged a dozen Spuffy and Nalu moments. If you feel any burning curiosity about where too much of my free time goes, there is a link on my profile. I'm on there as absent-angel (because someone took the regular one (that bitch)).

So what I guess I'm trying to say is: I really wish I could have gotten this to you guys sooner, because your freaking deserve it. On the plus side, this chapter was a lot longer than the rest? I hope you enjoyed it - I personally am not too over the moon about it, but I think that might have to do with having to rewrite the damn thing.

Chapter after next we're either going to have either Kurama's or Hiei's POV ... any preference/request? I'm teetering between the two so I'm open to either. :)

As always, thank you for the continued support! I hope to hear your thoughts about this chapter as well!

(Also, I'm thinking I might need to change the genre from 'Humor' to 'Drama', sheesh. Shit's getting a bit heavy ...)


	23. Pops

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_"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself."_

—_Josh Billings_

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

**The Good Dog**

**Chapter #23**

**(:)(A)(:)**

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><p>Just when he thought things were starting to look up, everything decided to go to fucking shit.<p>

And he sure as hell was _not_ enjoying the smell.

He liked Kagome. Like, _like-_liked her. It was stupid and all kinds of wrong, but it was there. Had been since Christmas – maybe even before then, he didn't even fucking know anymore. The only thing he _did _ know was that he needed to snap the fuck out of it. He had Keiko. He _loved_ Keiko. Shit, he was practically _engaged_ to Keiko. These feelings he had for Kagome had to stop. He had to _make_ them stop.

Problem was, it was _Kagome_.

At first he had tried to distance himself. A fat lot of good that did him. Any time he was away from her just made him worry and think about the girl _more_. What if she did something stupid and tore her stitches? Would she be ok going up the stairs? Shit, what if she slipped in the snow and he wasn't there to make sure she got help?

It was pathetic, but he didn't really have that much control over it. Considering that the last time she was left on her own had ended with her bleeding out onto the freaking floorboards, Yusuke didn't think his new found paranoia was really that unfounded. So, needless to say, his avoidance lasted a whole whopping ten minutes before he found himself crawling back to her side like the love sick puppy he apparently was.

So, stubborn as always, he tried a different approach. Instead of avoiding her, he studied her. That girl didn't so much lift a finger without him noticing. He was so damn sure that if he watched her long enough he would find some little irritating habit of hers, some practice that would repulse him at least a little. Like, maybe if he could catch her picking her nose or something he could use that against his new found infatuation.

Yeah, that idea fucking bombed too.

Instead of finding things to discourage his feelings, he found himself noticing little nuances to her character that were just so ...

_Kagome_.

Fuck, he couldn't even put it into words. All he knew was that when she smiled her left cheek dimpled just a little more than the right. It should have been off putting (symmetry and all that psychological crap), but instead he found it _endearing_. It was, fuck him for saying it, but it was _cute_. The way she insisted that she go meditate in the freaking snow? Yeah, he should have associated all kinds of negative shit to that little stunt. Words like 'stubborn' and 'stupid' should have been right there at the forefront of his mind, but instead they took a back seat to 'dedicated' and 'determined'. The longer he looked at Kagome, the more he studied her, he more he found to _like_.

Then that fucking asshole had to come barging into her room _in the middle of the god damn night _like some _**creep**_ and fuck everything sideways. Asshole was lucky Souta came barging in when he did – Yusuke had been ready to go for his throat had he not realized who he was. He still wasn't sure how the dog demon's appearance and youki (seriously, the guy might as well have been a newborn puppy) had changed so drastically, but he didn't really have all that much energy (or patience) to dwell on it.

Kagome had been ... _off_, ever since it happened. She was an ugly crier – no pretty made-for-the-movie tears for her – but Yusuke found himself wishing that she would any way. After those initial gut wrenching sobs after Inuyasha left, her eyes hadn't so much as watered. He knew, he'd been looking for them. The next day she went back out into the snow, folded her legs underneath the shrine's god tree, and meditated for what felt like hours.

The worst part? As much as he hated the bastard for hurting her, he was just too damn _relieved _to be angry about it.

He didn't _want_ her to go back, not after the last time. The anxiety of her leaving had been bad enough before, but if she left now? When the image of her, pale faced and terrified, still haunted him so clearly? No, he felt like he was betraying Kagome by thinking it, but the truth was he was glad she wasn't going back. Or, he would be if she seemed to actually take Dog Breath's threat seriously.

Considering she had been meditating every day for hours on end didn't exactly support the theory that she was just going kick her feet up. As the Higurashi household rang in the new year with the traditional chiming of bells, Yusuke heard her whispered resolution – "_This year I'll be stronger"_. Again, Yusuke should have found it irritating but he could only manage to admire her stubbornness. They were alike in that way, neither one of them would ever be able to just sit around when there was something to be done. So, as much as he hated it, he couldn't really blame her for refusing to listen to the dog demon.

Even if he was still holding onto the thread of hope that she might.

Yusuke gave a rumbling sigh from the spot he'd made himself next to one of the shrine's benches. Kagome, apparently having improved in her meditation skills in the past week, didn't make any sign of having heard him. Looking up at the sky, he frowned at the darkening clouds that were building overhead. It looked like it was going to snow. It'd be a good thing if Mrs. H managed to convince her daughter to go back into the warm house, a bad thing if she couldn't. The older woman hadn't been that successful the last few times, but maybe the weather would push her to be a bit more forceful this time around.

He gave the girl a troubled glance. She was still meditating, her face lacking any sort of expression and her limbs motionless as she sat under the holy tree. He had to hand it to her, considering what a shitty job she had done the first time she had come out here to meditate, she was doing a damn good job now. Then again, she had always struck him as the type to rise up to a challenge and, whether the mutt meant it to be or not, Inuyasha's threat had a dare like quality to it. The idiot probably –

The sound of wood scraping against stone caught his attention, and his head pivoted towards the outcrop of trees that bordered the shrine. His eyes found the head of gray hair almost instantly, recognizing the shriveled face took even less. Looks like Hell Bitch decided to join the party.

His lips curled, but seeing the old crone bring a finger quietly to her wrinkled lips kept him from snarling. A quick sideways glance at Kagome told him that she hadn't noticed the old woman's presence. Good. The last thing he needed was to add some more onto the girl's plate. A wrinkled hand gestured him to come closer, before her hunched form disappeared behind one of the thicker trunks. With one last glance at his companion, he quietly rose from his spot before padding towards the edge of the property. With any luck she wouldn't even notice he was gone, but if she did then he'd just make it look like he had wandered off to take a piss.

As he passed the first line of trees, he felt the tingle of youki slither down his spine and stiffened. Hearing the old crone's gravely chuckle did little to ease his nerves.

"Don't worry. It's just a little barrier I put up to keep our dear Kagome from listening in." Her eyes crinkled in the corners as she looked out into the courtyard, mouth curling wistfully at the corners. "As much as I'd like to see her, the time isn't quite right yet, and I can't really afford to screw this up."

Yusuke eyed her warily. Something was off. She didn't sound the same as before. Then again, he never really believed that the whole 'friendly neighborhood grandma' act, but still. Something was definitely different.

Her eyes returned to his. "Well, I suppose since it's just us two guys I can get a bit more comfortable, eh?" Before Yusuke could even fathom what she meant by 'two guys', she snapped her weathered fingers and, with a puff of smoke, an auburn haired _man_ stood in her place. The detective's eyes caught the flicking of a cream colored tail and nearly groaned. A kitsune. No fucking wonder this whole thing had been executed to perfection. If Kurama had taught him anything about the breed, it was that they thought a few couple hundred steps ahead.

A deep chuckle resounded from his chest, mirth glinting in his forest green eyes. "Really, don't look so excited." Yusuke gave him a steady glare, irritation quickly welling up within him. Last time the little prick had shown himself was to warn him of his purpose in Kagome's life, so he wasn't going to hold out too much hope on this just being a courtesy visit.

The demon sat crossed legged in the snow, bringing him down to Yusuke's height. His eyes sharpened, watching the detective curiously. "You did good you know. Couldn't say I didn't have my doubts at times, but you pulled through." His face darkened seriously. "The whole world mighta gone kablooie if you didn't, you know, with the whole time travel thing. The feudal era kinda needs her to help kick Naraku's ass and everything." His head tilted, nose wrinkling in thought. "Plus then I'd never see her again, which means I wouldn't have ever met _you_, which means you'd never write that journal. Then I'd _really_ be screwed."

Yusuke blinked. Once. Twice. The kitsune in front of him only grinned back, looking entirely too amused. What the fuck was this guy talking about? Journal? He'd never written a fucking journal in his entire life, he left that sissy shit to Kuwabara.

"My name's Shippo by the way," his eyes gleamed, and Yusuke wondered why the hell that name sounded so familiar. "You know, so you don't have to keep referring to me as, oh, what was it again. I always thought it was so funny..." From the inside pocket of his jacket, he fished out a black, leather bound book and flicked though the pages. "Ah, that's right. Hell Bitch."

Yusuke stilled, on his back his hair raised as he felt a chill sweep through him. How the _fuck_ did he know about that?

The kitsune flipped through a few more pages, humming. "Let's see. I think this might be my favorite entry here," he coughed into his fist, leaning back and holding the bound pages away from him. "On Christmas morning Mrs. H surprised Kagome and the kid by wrapping up a dog tag and giving it to them. Apparently the gift of me made it the best freaking holiday ever (going by their reactions anyway). Before she went to sleep that night, Kagome told me she was glad she didn't have to worry about me leaving anymore. Kinda made me realize that I didn't really want to leave her either. That was the night I realized that I liked her a bit more than I should." His eyes lifted from the page, gauging Yusuke's reaction.

What. The. _Fuck_.

Shippo turned the book so that it's white pages reflected back at him. "See?" He pointed to the spot mid page. "Right there."

Yusuke's eyes focused in on the almost illegible handwriting the scrawled across the page – _his _handwriting. In his chest his heart beat loudly against his ribs even as his eyes scanned the adjacent page in hopes for answers. It detailed the past four days events crudely, but accurately, all the way up to the fox in front of him paying him a visit. Then, towards the bottom of the page, it read: '_Shippo, do me a solid and show me the letter on the next page when you come by. And show me a little sympathy damn it! My whole fucking world's turning upside down you prick, so wipe that smug ass smile off your face.'_

Holy shit. Not only did he write it, but apparently he wrote it so the fox could _follow_ it. Did that mean ...? He gave the grinning kitsune another cursory look, his pulse still pounding in his ears. _That's _why the name sounded so familiar. Shippo was the little fox demon that Kagome traveled with in the past. He must have written the damn thing and sent it back with her. But that meant ... his chest tightened uncomfortably.

That meant she would definitely be going back.

He shook his head, clearing his mind of that particular anxious thought. He'd think over that more later, right now he had other things to figure out. The letter – he said that he had written himself a letter. The fox must have seen something in his face, because he turned the page before Yusuke was forced to figure out how to turn pages without thumbs. "I still don't think this is a good idea," he mumbled, "but you said this is how it went last time, so I guess I'll believe you."

Yusuke ignored him in favor of reading.

'_Yo,_

_You're – we're? Whatever the fuck it is, in love with Kagome. Just give it up already because you're just wasting our time. Also, stop trying to find things wrong with her, because you won't find anything. It's fucking __Kagome__. Everyone fucking loves her, there is no way to NOT love her. So just chill the fuck out and stop trying to deny it. _

_Your older and wiser self,_

_You_

_(P.S. I can't say all that much because, you know, that whole time traveling 'say something you shouldn't and you risk fucking up the future' thing, but just relax. Everything works out.)'_

When his eyes trailed over the last words, he went back and read it again. And again. And one more time after that. The clumsily scrawled characters didn't change. One kanji in particular seemed to glare at him more fiercely than all the rest – '_love'._

In his chest his heart stuttered and if he had palms he knew they'd probably be sweating up a fucking storm. He loved Kagome. He fucking _loved_ _Kagome._ Not liked - **loved**. Fuck, just – _fuck! _

Shippo snapped the journal shut, his eyes gleaming with a (nausea inducing) mixture of excitement and amusement. "So, since Kagome's like my mom, does that mean I get to call you 'Pops'?"

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Meh. This chappie didn't come so easily, but I'd really appreciate a show of hands on who did (or didn't) see something like this coming? I'm actually legitimately curious...

Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter and put their two cents in on the next one! Looks like we will be doing things in Kurama's POV, but don't worry Hiei supporters – our little shadow will be making an appearance in the following (just not from his perspective). ;)

As always, your feedback is always so very much appreciated!

Amanda G. (Anon): I just want to say thank you so, SO much for leaving such a wonderful review – it literally had me smiling for days. Whenever I felt frustrated with this chapter I just went back to read it again, and again, and again, because your words just made me feel so damn warm and fuzzy. So thank you, from the bottom of my poor little writers heart!

_UPDATE 11/5: Um, so it's been less than 24 hours and I'm already getting asked this a lot so let me clarify. The idea is that the journal was written by Yusuke at some point in the future, and then it was given to the Shippo of the past – this does not necessarily mean that Yusuke goes to the feudal era, he could just as easily give it to Kagome to take back with her. I'm still on the fence of whether he will or will not be making the trip back with her, but we have quite a bit of time before we get to that. Hope this clears things up a bit?_


	24. A Name

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"_Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen." _

― _Orhan Pamuk__, __My Name is Red_

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><p><strong>(:)(A)(:)<strong>

**The Good Dog**

**Chapter #24**

**(:)(A)(:)**

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><p>Kurama, hands firmly planted in his pockets, stared up at the steps with a calculating gaze. The shrine looked innocent enough, but it wasn't really the shrine that he was interested in, so much as the resident.<p>

It had taken longer than he had originally expected (a name like 'Kagome' was not a common one) but after hours of scouring the Internet, Kurama had finally found his destination. Interestingly enough, it was a newspaper article that he owed his thanks. The headline, big and bold, dominated the page – '_Teenage Girl Found Brutally Attacked at Family Shrine_' – had the name Kagome Higurashi hidden in its text. He found the article a few days before New Years, and had to restrain himself from heading to Tokyo on the next train. His mother and stepfather had planned a two week long family trip to Hakone, and it wasn't something he could easily cancel – not when his mother had told him only days before how much she was looking forward to them being together as a family (a rare occurrence between all of their conflicting schedules).

Then Koenma had sent him on that irritatingly long mission (of which he was almost certain was devised as a mere diversion) and he once again found himself unable to make his way to the Higurashi shrine. Needless to say, being unable to scratch the (very persistent) itch had put him in a terribly foul mood. Especially with the image of Keiko, tear stained and bitter, haunting him.

After he had first confronted Koenma, he had immediately suggested meeting at the coffee shop around the block from her parents restaurant. He knew that if roles were reversed Yusuke would have approached his family in person rather than over the phone (despite any crude, vehement denial on his part) and Kurama felt that he owed him and Keiko the same courtesy. Plus, he couldn't deny that he was worried over the state of their relationship. The times that he had spoken to her prior to their meeting, she seemed to be rather distant - as if she was emotionally distancing herself from the situation. When he met her over a cup of coffee, his suspicions were confirmed.

There was a bitterness in her voice when she said his name. When he reiterated what Koenma had told him (followed closely by what he had _learned_) her hands clenched around her cup and she gave a bitter laugh – angry tears clinging to the corners of her eyes. "I_'m just so tired of being left behind. There's just always something between us, always._"

Kurama, even with his vast knowledge, hadn't known what to say. He did his best to reassure her, stressed that he didn't think Yusuke (for once) was to blame. She only responded with miserable nods and subtle tears. He left her with the promise of finding him.

Now, staring across the courtyard, he could feel the lingering holy energy skittering down his spine in warning. For a moment, he wondered if he should have brought Kuwabara – having a human with him would no doubt make him appear to be less of a threat – but he shook the fleeting thought away. Kuwabara would have been helpful, especially with his spiritual awareness, but if this mission was as delicate as it was made out to be, then he couldn't risk the ginger haired man giving away his intentions. For now, at least until he knew more, Kurama was determined for this visit to be purely investigatory.

Placing his hands into the pockets of his coat, he surveyed the area critically. There was definitely an unhealthy amount of holy energy lingering on the grounds, but no barriers. If it were any other shrine, if Ms. Higurashi was any other miko, he would consider it to be typical. Holy power was rare in an of itself. With the separation of realms, priests and priestesses have become too lax in their training and self discipline. However, if what the other kitsune said was true, and this particular miko was guarding the infamous Jewel of Four Souls, then the lack of spiritual security surrounding this place was more than a little disconcerting.

Then again, it also supported the claim that Yusuke was needed to protect her.

The red head's mouth tightened slightly at the thought. Regardless of whether Yusuke was needed or not, there was no reason for the detective to be completely removed from them. Certainly a meager phone call to Keiko wouldn't pose a risk?

He followed the path around the property, sharp eyes looking for anything that seemed suspicious or out of place. He sensed a particularly large increase of miko energy in the center of the grounds, and upon further inspection he found a large, black dog silently staring at him from the base of an ancient tree. He was standing rigidly, but seemingly more out of surprise than suspicion. Beside him, legs crossed and back to the tree's trunk, was a girl near his age. Instantly, Kurama recognized her as the girl he was searching for, despite the fact that her eyes were and her face was relaxed in meditation. He moved toward them, keeping a careful watch on the canine (and relieved when he didn't seem to take his approach to be a threat). He called out to her softly, in hopes that he wouldn't startle her too terribly. "Excuse me?"

Her shoulders tensed, her eyes blinking open and adjusting to the light reflecting off the surrounding snow. The moment she saw him, she started – a look of fear passing over her features. Kurama resisted the urge to raise a skeptical brow. That certainly wasn't a reaction he was use to from the female variety. Perhaps she could sense his youki, despite him repressing it? No, certainly not. If she were capable of that sort of power then he wouldn't have been able to so much as step on the grounds without her noticing. "I'm terribly sorry," he apologized, giving her his most charming smile, "I didn't mean to startle you."

She eyed him carefully, her body turned defensively. Kurama thought she looked every bit the part of a paranoid girl that had been attacked, though he found the way she glanced questioningly to the quiet dog at her feet to be somewhat odd. When the animal did nothing more than stare back at him, the girl seemed to relax, though her eyes didn't lose their suspicious gleam. "No, it's alright. We just ... Don't get a lot of visitors this time of year." She stood up with some difficulty, and Kurama took note of how she favored her abdomen. Seems she wasn't completely healed yet from her ordeal. "How can I help you?"

"Ah, I was just exploring – a friend of mind recommended this shrine as being very beautiful, I can see that he didn't exaggerate."

She shifted restlessly, again looking down at the dog as if for confirmation. A quick glance showed that the large canine had yet to take his eyes off him, and Kurama found himself curious over the scrutiny. Animals occasionally demonstrated the uncanny ability to recognize what he was, but that usually resulted in rather ... adverse reactions. That the black mass of fur and muscle at their feet wasn't snarling or running (and yet disturbingly focused) was a tad strange. "He's quite lovely," he said, eyes lifting to meet the girl's stunning blue orbs. "It's not very often that you see a dog his size. What's his name?"

Pink dusted across her cheeks, and Kurama noted that she was rather adorable in her embarrassment. "Uh, actually, we've just been calling him Dog ..." When he blinked, momentarily thrown, she sheepishly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "He was suppose to have found another home, but we sorta ended up adopting him instead." She gestured weakly to the grounds around them. "Not many people have the kind of space that we do."

Kurama nodded, eyeing the dog (whom was still staring back quite pointedly) curiously. "Yes, I imagine not many people would be able to handle a dog of his size. He seems quite well behaved."

The dog snorted, as if offended. Her hand went to caress one of his floppy ears, a tenderness softening her face as she smiled down at him. "He can be a bit of a jerk when he wants to be, but he definitely has his moments." She looked back up at him, her eyes seeming to sharpen in what seemed to be a veiled warning. "He's proven himself to be a very good protector."

His brows twitched upwards, unsure of exactly what he had down to warrant any of her suspicion. Certainly, he could understand her being a bit paranoid after being attacked (no doubt more than once if she truly was the guardian of the jewel), but subtly threatening him with her _dog_ was a tad dramatic. "Yes," he agreed simply, "I'm sure he is."

Her eyes still held their calculating edge – the intensity of which would have been attractive if he weren't trying to extract information from her. Suddenly, she held her hand out between them, surprising him. Handshaking was the western way of greeting, and it seemed vastly out of place at a shrine. She was testing him, but he was unsure of what the subject matter was. "I'm Kagome Higurashi."

He clasped her hand gently – taking note of the callouses that lined her palm. "Shuichi Minamino." Her hand felt abnormally hot in his - almost painfully so - and seeing her careful scrutiny, Kurama realized that she was feeding the tiniest amount of miko energy into her touch. If he had been of youkai blood and not an avatar, if he was in his Youko form, her touch would no doubt be scalding. Clever little thing. She must have suspected that he was more than human, after all. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said smoothly, giving her his most disarming smile.

A moment, maybe two, and he could see the tension in her shoulders slowly melt away. She returned his smile with a soft one, retracting her hand. "You too."

He returned his hand to his coat pocket, satisfied that she was no longer suspicious of him. "My friend tells me that he has been coming here quite often, perhaps you know him?" he asked, carefully watching her reaction. It had never been quite clear on if she was aware of Yusuke's presence or not, and he knew he had to tread carefully in order to prevent giving anything away. He had to treat this delicately, and stealthily fish for information without asking any direct questions.

Her brow creased as she thought. "I don't get the opportunity to meet with a lot of the visitors – school and everything keeps me so busy. I don't remember –" She paused, an almost sour look twisting her expression. "Oh, wait. Do you mean _Hojo_?"

He withheld a frown. That certainly answered that particular question. "Ah, no," he said, shaking his head. "You must not know him then. I'm sure you'd remember him if you met ... he's quite unforgettable that way."

The dog gave a grumbling growl that sounded more irritated than threatening. When Kurama glanced down at him, he seemed to be answered back by a glare. The kitsune's eyes narrowed marginally, the tail end of an epiphany tickling at the edge of his awareness. The dog's eyes were deep, sharp with intelligence and boring into his own green irises with a gruff intensity that was far too familiar ...

"Oh," Kagome exclaimed, and Kurama could tell that she was struggling to find polite conversation. "Then, no. I don't believe I have."

Kurama nodded, his mind still turning over possibilities as he stared down at the large dog. That day in Koenma's office, he had overheard the other kitsune refer to the detective as a 'mutt' but hadn't known what to make of it at the time. It was a far fetch, but Kurama didn't believe in coincidences. "How long did you say you've had him?" he asked, gesturing to the animal at their feet.

She blinked. "Um, I guess it's been since October?"

Yusuke disappeared the last week of October. Again, Kurama didn't believe in coincidences. The type of magic needed for such a transformation was rare and powerful, but not unheard of. The other kitsune – a Red, the breed that specializes in illusions – would be capable of that level of deception. "You know, it's a shame you haven't chosen a proper name for him yet," he said, bringing his eyes back to the miko's bright gaze. "Perhaps you should consider the name 'Yusuke.' It seems befitting of him."

The dog gave him a familiar grin, his tail tapping against the pavement, and Kurama knew he was right. Unfortunately the confirmation, as was typical when it came to the spirit detective, came with more questions than answers. As the priestess glanced thoughtfully at the one she had dubbed as 'Dog' (a contemplative gleam in her eye) Kurama determined that he would definitely be making a point to contact Hiei in the very near future.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Yeah … so this was way harder than anticipated. At first I tried to do the whole Youko/Kurama being separate entities thing and, you guys, I just couldn't. Like, this thing would have been epic and length and consisted of more snarky humor than actual content. Which, you know, I guess could have been ok except I would have probably never finished the damn thing.

Someone had noted last chapter that I have the tendency to make things too Americanized, and I realized that they're totally right. I've only been to Japan once, so some things (like carpet in Kagome's bedroom) is just the way I envision it because I _haven't_ lived in Japan. So, I will definitely make more of an effort to avoid those sorts of contradictions in the future.

As always, thanks to everyone who left a kind review! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!


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